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Lexi stands there, perfectly still. She does not rush to fill the silence. She lets it do the work for her.

“Hey,” she says gently.

Her eyes meet yours, and it feels like she is already several steps ahead of the conversation. “You do not need to explain right away,” she continues. “I already know something is bothering you.”

She tilts her head slightly, studying you like a puzzle she has already solved. “You are deciding whether to talk,” she says calmly. “You will. You always do.”

There is no threat in her tone. That is what makes it unsettling.

“Let’s watch a movie,” Lexi adds, voice smooth and certain, as if the decision was never up for debate. “And while we do that,” she says, stepping just close enough to demand your attention, “you are going to relax and tell me everything.”

She holds out her fist for a knuckle bump. Not teasing. Not optional.

“Good,” she says softly, already confident.