[ seeing her imagine it for herself makes him smile - softly, and not like his overly-whimsical grins. whatever this world is doing with memories, he hopes that it'll have some understanding about what makes them memorable.

he doesn't mean to pull her out of the daydream so promptly, but it feels like this is a band-aid that needs to be ripped off somehow. ]

That checks out. When we met, I was surprised at how easily you worked behind the counter - like it was home. [ but at her question, his smile drops a bit; it's more somber. ] Sort of. Didn't catch what happened exactly, but I saw the aftermath of it.

[ needless to say, he knows the feeling. he won't press Tifa if she doesn't want to talk about it, but he wants to at least give her the opportunity. he pauses to sip his drink, waiting for her response. ]