Quality over quantity.  She didn’t say much, but all that Stella had said fell firmly within the former.  Anton struggled as to what to focus on and address first.<i>Magdalene told me everything.  . . . when she moves in with you.  She would never let us even be friends.  I like you more than just . . . friends.  </i>Well, there it is, he thought, reflecting on the last thing she uttered.  Magdalene turned out to be right, after all.<br/><br/>His head already in full-on spin cycle, Anton knew he needed to address her, but not like this.  With such heavy-duty issues floating in the air, he preferred to speak to her while looking into her eyes, not the top of her head.  By his estimation, Stella was looking at his shoes.  With his right hand, he slowly and gently lifted her chin until their eyes met.  It was obvious she was near tears, so he thought it best to say something quick.<br/><br/>“I don’t know what the hell she’s talking about, Stella,” he said in a hushed but still audible tone.  “But Magdalene is not moving in, I can assure you.  We haven’t even talked about it.”  That was the easy part.<i>More than just friends </i>was the white elephant in the hallway that dwarfed even Tesla, and it was not going away anytime soon.  The white elephant, not Tesla.  “More than just friends, huh?” Anton repeated, as his mouth curled into a smile.  “I’m wondering if we have anything to talk about.”