Oh, thank god. The words almost made their way out; he caught them just before they did, because he wasn't sure if they sounded insulting or not. He certainly didn't mean them that way.
"I can honestly say that I'm relieved at your words," Noah said after a moment. Some of the tension he'd carried drained away, like water from a broken pitcher. "When Julia died, she was pregnant. A little girl, they told me. And that was my family--I have absolutely no desire to try and start another, particularly with someone I don't know. I simply wasn't sure if you wished it, or not. If you had, I--" he'd have tried, but it would've been a hollow thing, loveless. "Well. I'm just glad that you don't wish it."
His mouth curved up a little, and this time it felt more genuine. "Although I wouldn't dare to presume a fatherly role to Jae-Mi and Jason--they had a father, and I could never compare to his memory--I would be glad to be your friend and companion."
If he had to do this, then a marriage in name only, platonic, suited him. He'd been celibate for a year; he could continue to be so. Perhaps in years to come, he might think differently, but for now, it proved no problem. He didn't relish moving from his apartment; it was home after so many years and memories, but in the practical view, it was too small for the three of them. And May had just bought her place, so it seemed unfair to ask her to put it on the market again and possibly take a loss when none of this was her fault. It was more sensible for him to move there. They would just have to blend their things as much as they could and store the rest. It could be worked out.