[ He smokes through about a third of that cigarette before he exhales something that sounds like a sigh. His gaze is still averted, because this is hard.

They tried. But they also didn't know how to move -- at least, that's his take on it. He can't really speak for the rest. He tried. But the conversation had ended on an awkward note and it's not like he could have taken what he said back, because it wasn't somethung he could give into anyway. ]

We tried. [ Wait. Amending that. ] We wanted to anyway -- I did. But we didn't know how to move. I didn't know how to move.

And it wasn't even that it was awkward for me. I let that go right away. He asked, it just wasn't an option.

[ Leaning back now, and adding softly: ] Yulia had better luck.