[Although he doesn't expect the touch, he keeps his hand in place.]

I don't know. [No, that's a lie. He revises his answer, his lips spreading into a faint smile.] No, not always. When you're truly happy, the joy you feel is like none other . . . Do you remember the first dream that you had this week?

[Sandalphon doesn't like to revisit his old memories. They're bittersweet, tender, and painful. But he knows that, back then, he was overflowing with happiness that he no longer feels—happiness that Ion felt, that night. If that old joy will be of comfort to Ion in this trying time, then his own discomfort and sadness are nothing in comparison.]