Jesus Christ. Was that deference? That was worse than arguing by a factor of ten. Arguing he could deal with, because he and Julia had often argued--but this? He wasn't sure what to do. She was flushed and clearly upset, and he didn't like that he'd made her that way, even inadvertently. He'd never been a deliberately harsh or difficult man.
"We've obviously gotten off on the wrong foot, and I regret that," Noah said softly. "Neither of us wanted this, nor would we have chosen it, had we free will. But it remains that we're stuck with one another. I'd hoped that we could live together with some measure of peace and harmony, or at least, without open warfare. I don't want to be your enemy, May. I'd rather be your friend. This will just...take some adjustment on both our parts. In spite of what you might think, I am willing to try."