Elise told him it was alright. She dealt with human emotions in her line of work as a psychologist all the time. Though she knew the old man wasn’t being dishonest, she also sensed that he was keeping something more from her. For now, she let it be as the man seemed to drift into a short nap.
At some point, Elise herself must have dozed off. When she woke up, she found the old veteran studying her longer than casual politeness required. He mumbled when she caught his stare, “Sorry. You remind me of someone I knew.” He didn’t elaborate, simply turned his gaze back to the window.