Ashley wasn't convinced. Josh was rarely unwell, and even when he was, it barely showed. Something else was wrong.
"Ash," he began carefully, "how do you feel about leaving the base?"
Ashley tensed, her eyes darting away. "I don't want the team to split up," she admitted, her voice small. "If we have to leave, we should leave together."
Josh hesitated before continuing. "What if you could have a real home again? A place where you don't have to go on missions anymore?"
Ashley's gaze snapped back to him. "My home is with the team. With you," she said firmly, the conviction in her voice unwavering.
Josh's jaw tightened. "What if… we get assigned to different cities?"
Ashley froze, her face paling. Her breathing grew shallow as the weight of his words hit her. "They won't separate us, will they? We've always been together. We need to be together," she said, her voice trembling.