"I'll pretend I know who or what you're talking about," he replied as she squeezed his fingers. He was mostly going through the motions, replying because it was a conversation, and that's what you did. But he felt completely adrift. Like her hand holding his was the only thing keeping him here.
"You're not old. Or I am. And I'm not." He deliberately avoided talk or thought regarding why she would need the pillow, and why she had to rub her back that way. He glanced in the other direction for a moment before looking back at her. "So, hot chocolate?"