That makes two of them. Dan wishes he hadn't said anything either. Instead he just gathers some clothes from the dresser drawer he's claimed for himself, one of the few places where he's compartmentalized his things to avoid seeming like he's taking over the place.

Then Aster looks utterly lost and even rejected, and Dan finds himself at a loss.

"It's made me happy being here. You've been the best thing happened to me in years." It's true. It's entirely true, and yet it's not enough. Dan doesn't think anything will ever be enough to patch up the hole that's in his heart and mind. He feels like the events of his life crashed through him like a wrecking ball, and that just loading the raw material for happiness back onto the ruins isn't the same as fixing his life, and he lacks the expertise. Aster can give him everything he needs to get himself together and Dan doesn't know how and can't figure out why it doesn't work.