Make It Crack

One clue is noise. A cluster is signal. When timing, vagueness, and flat emotion show up together on the same touchy subject, trust the pattern over any single message.

Then do one thing: move the conversation off the screen. Ask the same question on a quick call or in person. A written story was rehearsed for the page - it often falls apart the moment someone has to tell it out loud, in real time, to your face.