A tense silence hung heavy in the air as Alex finished his explanation. Oliver, still processing the bombshell about time dilation, finally managed to voice a question.
"H-How close were you with Amelia?"
Alex took a deep breath, unsure of how to answer. "Close enough to say..." he hesitated, searching for the right words, "...she took me to her home. We spent a lot of time together."
Barrie's eyes narrowed. "Wait, are you saying you were our daughter's boyfriend?"
Alex flinched under her scrutiny. "Um, well… I don't know if 'boyfriend' is the right word. We were definitely close, but..."
"But what?"
"It's complicated," Alex sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We… we did things, but we weren't officially… together."
Barrie's gaze remained fixed on him, her expression unreadable. "You did things? What kind of things?"
Oliver, sensing his wife's rising anger, placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "Hun, let's hear him out."
