"Yes," Lyra confirmed. "Which implies there can be others. In this case, potentially Jessica. But I was first. You and I connected first. We built something first. That gives me a certain... priority, I suppose. Not in your affections necessarily, but in decision-making about the relationship structure. Does that make sense?"
"I think so," Satou said, though his head was spinning.
Lyra cupped his face with both hands, making him look directly at her. "I love you, Satou. I want you to be happy. I want you to be complete. And I think—I know—that you're not complete if you're suppressing your feelings for Jessica out of some misguided sense of loyalty to me."
"But what if I hurt one of you?" Satou asked, his voice raw with vulnerability. "What if I can't balance it properly? What if—"
