[ his laughter makes her smile, even as her gaze lowers to the cup of tea she cradles in between both hands. ]

When you — the other you — first got here, he seemed different to me. He was still you, but he also felt older and ... really grounded? Like very little could shake him. When we started to talk about why, he told me he found a balance through faith.

[ as in, religion. ]

A faith that centered him without consuming him. [ she remembers his exact words. ] He was Muslim.