“If he asked me for any advice about…personal matters—personal relationships—I wouldn’t have a whole lot to say, because I don’t know a whole lot about it. But I would say that—” He stops himself and makes a sound of a half-formed word, then stops himself again. He takes a breath and speaks in an uncharacteristically unhurried way. “Life is a bit more difficult for women. More difficult than it is for us, I mean. And you don’t need to ask them to explain why or understand it all. You just need to be nice to them.” He looks up at me nervously. “Do you understand what I’m saying?” “I think I do,
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