I just wanted to say, this is one of the pages of Octopus Pie that I think about all the damn time. Back in 2017, I remember reading this page and thinking Hanna was being unfair, both to Marek and herself. I thought it was kind of him to still care about being gentle with her feelings. He didn't have to care, but he didn't want to hurt her arbitrarily.

But now I can recognize this kind of dependency, and I feel proud of Hanna for drawing the line, even if she's a little mean about it. There's a period of time after a serious breakup where you need to affirm that you DID mean a lot to the other person, and you weren't easily cast aside. But at a certain point, you have to accept the other person moving on, and that their thoughts of you just won't amount to so much anymore. I read this page as Marek still being eager to lick each other's wounds. He wants Hanna to know that she still really matters to him, and I think he wants to feel that in return. Hanna, meanwhile, has recognized the limits of that line of thinking, and she's eager to grow past it. Of course she and Marek still matter to each other, but there's nothing to be gained by dwelling on that, or trying to squeeze some affirmation out of it.

I could be projecting!! I went through two very different breakups in 2017 VS 2021. But I love how this scene has stuck with me through both.