[Well, he has no reason not to take that at face value. Still, he stays with her for a bit, fine with leaving the potatoes to boil a little longer.]

Isn't choking down food someone made for you an act of love in itself?

[He can't imagine that she was close to dying, but it still gets another smile out of him.]

You didn't remember that because this food tastes bad, right? If it does, you can tell me.