The apartment was quiet in a way Edward disliked.

Not peaceful.

Heavy.

He noticed it the moment he stepped inside—the absence of her usual commentary, the lack of movement, the way the air felt stalled instead of alive.

She sat on the couch, distant. Thoughtful. Not upset enough to explain, not fine enough to ignore.

Edward removed his gloves slowly.

He did not ask what was wrong.

Interrogation required strategy.

Comfort required finesse.

He approached with deliberate casualness, settling into the chair across from her rather than beside. Not crowding. Not retreating.

“Riddle me this,” he began mildly.

No response.

Good. That meant she was listening.

“What is small, irrational, prone to spiraling conclusions, and yet insists on masquerading as logic?”

A faint glance in his direction.

He continued.

“It arrives uninvited, rewrites the narrative, and convinces brilliant individuals they are somehow inadequate.”

Her mouth twitched.

Progress.

He leaned forward slightly, tone softening just a degree.

“It thrives in silence, exaggerates flaws, and collapses under the slightest scrutiny.”

A pause.

He tilted his head.

“Answer: a bad day.”

That did it.

A small laugh escaped her before she could stop it.

Edward’s shoulders relaxed imperceptibly.

He rose then, crossing the room to sit beside her.

“Second riddle,” he murmured, voice lower now. “What possesses immeasurable value, unmatched intelligence, and the audacity to doubt itself?”

She shook her head, smiling despite herself.

He allowed the corner of his mouth to lift.

“You.”

Not smug.

Not teasing.

Certain.

Edward adjusted his glasses.

“You see,” he added thoughtfully, “riddles are not merely exercises in superiority.”

He shifted closer, just enough.

“They are tools.”

Precision instruments.

“And sometimes,” he finished quietly, “the correct answer deserves reminding.”

The heaviness in the room had lifted.

Replaced with something lighter.

Warmer.

Edward observed the change with quiet satisfaction.

After all—

He didn’t just enjoy solving puzzles.

He enjoyed fixing them.

Especially when they smiled at the solution.