Why did you highlight this one very strange line of dialogue, Deanna? Because in that one line you see how the focus on their entire relationship has changed. You see how a mundane and often hygiene-focused action that’s very private becomes something he’s willing to share. It shows you exactly where he stands in within his view of their relationship without him spelling it out for you the reader, by telling you that his feelings had shifted and the space she held in his life was no longer a separate thing.

Some writers will argue that showing is overrated. I’d say that when used properly with the right balance between showing and telling, an impactful moment can become visceral for the reader—that’s what will stay with them long after they’ve read the last word and put the book down.

When the moment is right, give your reader words they will feel in their bones.