Nina held the internship offer above our untouched noodle bowls, waiting for my reaction before trusting her own excitement. The placement began in six weeks, lasted twelve weeks, plus required living four hours away by train.
"Congratulations," I said first, because fear did not deserve the opening sentence.
Her smile appeared, then weakened when I reached toward the exact dates upon the letter. Nina asked whether I wanted reassurance, practical details, or time before discussing distance.
"Celebration first," I replied, closing the calendar instead of making logistics consume her achievement.
We ordered the cheapest sparkling drink on the menu, then toasted toward her work without mentioning sacrifice. Nina described the institute's investigative desk, paid housing allowance, plus access to public-record databases unavailable through university accounts.
