[he starts to go a shade pink and hastily looks down, reacting as much to her vocal recoil as the content behind it. Archie and Andy say things like that, too. more often now, as well.

but.]

I...I never know how to feel about that. Or what to say. I think the right thing is to be grateful. I, I am. [getting redder, tensing up:] Grateful. But it's...it's frightening. To hear. I don't think I understand what anyone really means by it. I'm sorry. I'm still talking--