[ She can only return that smile, understanding in her expression. ]

I don't blame you. Not knowing if things will change because of that... it is scary.

But I suspect all the possibilities your mind has made up in wondering at that answer are probably much scarier than the actual truth of what it would be. Or maybe that's just my mind that would run away to try and account for everything...

But either way, avoiding asking because you're afraid of the answer means that things will never change. And I don't think you'd be any happier with that. Would you?