If Chéri had been able to read Malachi, they would have immediately understood the confusion they had caused. Maybe they would have been curious about the other terms, but obviously, they couldn’t know. So they just nodded and finished their soup like they had started it: too quickly and with immense joy.

Chéri smiled very lightly, involuntarily borrowing Malachi’s own light smile and bit back the first, fisty “why” that came up, to say “It is. But It is nothing new.”

The shrugged caught Chéri unprepared, evidently, because their gaze went from Malachi’s shoulder, to their faced, and offered a slightly tilt of the head as a response. Realising that Malachi probably didn’t reaching all his conclusion based on people’s movements, Chéri asked “Was that your case too?”

Then Malachi continued. Chéri put their hand under their chin, very surprised. They had never thought a church could hire a dance or a singer and as far as the rest went, propositions normally looked quite different, so while thinking about the conclusion Malachi was doomed to be stared at once again. And in the end, Chéri concluded with a very warm smile and this time they stayed silent. And instead of answering with a “thank you”, that was going to be rejected, they said “If you put all this thought and effort in all the tramps you meet, you must be exhausted.” Probably thank you would have been a safer answer. Chéri stood up and walked towards Malachi “Still sure I can stay here?” They asked, now just a few feet from him.