She reaches back and takes the hand without a word, shuffling forward but not immediately following her instinct to join them on the other bed, to seek that closeness.

“There’s... a few parts to all of this. I’ve been thinking a lot about what being here in the city means, for me; about... about everything that’s happened here, what being here’s given me, who I am here.”

She breathes out slowly. Organises her thoughts. Where to start... what to say... she’s thought about all of this endlessly over the last couple of weeks, but articulating it all is harder with them right there, their hand in hers.

“I’m... I’ve told you before that I feel... I feel more me, with you, right? Like I can just be me. Be... known,” CT says, as Connie squeezes Coda’s hand. “And... and I think— I think I’d like it if you started calling me Connie, when we’re on our own. It’s... it’s my name, it’s who I was before I became CT. It’s who I feel like when I’m spending time with you.”

Her heart flutters faster and god, how is it she feels so amped up already when that’s the easy part of all of this?