"I know. I'm sorry."
"However." He shifts his messenger bag to his other shoulder. "Your motivation appears genuine. Your portrayal, while public, is respectful rather than mocking. And your distress about the violation suggests understanding of the problem."
"Does that mean...?"
"It means I'm willing to teach you the proper cultural context for 'stone warms slow' so you can use it accurately in future writing. If you're interested in learning rather than just borrowing."
The offer feels like more than I deserve after accidentally exploiting his trust for viral content.
"I would like that very much."
"Good. But first, you remove the blog post."
"Remove it?"
"The content is already viral. Removing it won't eliminate the exposure. But it will demonstrate that you value my privacy more than your career advancement."
The request hits like ice water. Remove the most successful post my blog has ever generated? Delete content that could lead to freelance opportunities and professional recognition?
But Ursak's expression makes it clear that this isn't negotiable. Trust rebuilding requires sacrifice of the thing that broke trust in the first place.
"Okay," I say, pulling out my phone. "I'll delete it now."
"Not now. Tomorrow. Think about it overnight. Make sure you're choosing relationship preservation over content preservation for the right reasons."
Tomorrow.
Twenty-four hours to decide between professional opportunity and personal integrity. Between viral success and neighbor trust. Between career advancement and the gradual warmth of stone that heats slowly but holds temperature longest.
"And if I delete it?"
"Then I teach you about orcish idioms. We continue coffee diplomacy. We see whether trust can be rebuilt through consistent positive interaction rather than dramatic gestures."
Stone warms slow.
But once trust is established, it's difficult to break.
I look at Ursak's face as patient, careful, willing to offer second chances while maintaining clear boundaries about acceptable behavior.
"I'll delete it tomorrow."
"Good." He heads toward the elevator, then pauses. "Maya?"
"Yes?"
"For what it's worth, your observations about community building were accurate. Urban living does work better when people assume good intentions and approach conflict with curiosity."
"Even when one person accidentally exploits the other person's trust for viral content?"
"Especially then. Mistakes create opportunities for deeper understanding, if both parties commit to learning from them."
The elevator doors close, leaving me alone in the lobby with notification sounds still chiming from my phone and twenty-four hours to choose between professional success and personal integrity.
Stone warms slow.
But friendship, apparently, can be rebuilt faster than expected when watered with genuine apology and fertilized with willingness to sacrifice ego for trust.
The real question: Am I ready to choose relationship over recognition?
