He’s about to respond with a yes, for that is what normal men who have not committed crimes should say, but then he pauses and re-assesses. She had not said that she does, only that she used to. Perhaps he doesn’t need to give her a false answer after all.

“No,” he says slowly, not looking at her. “I do not. I did, once, but…well.” He laughs under his breath, without any real amusement. “I’ve moved beyond such things.” Sonya hadn’t, though. Sonya had gone through things far worse than he, and she had still prayed, still believed in Christ and the resurrection. But thinking of Sonya makes him feel nauseous, so he forces all thoughts of her away.

After a brief pause, he adds, “I apologize. That was an invasive question…I didn’t mean to pry into your personal beliefs.”