[ Sunlight is a great disinfectant, as the saying goes. Root's not the type to seclude herself and wallow when she experiences loss -- she goes rather the other direction -- but she understands the difficulty. Speaking things out loud opens you up to dealing with them, which is much harder than pushing past in resolute silence. ]

You're not the only one to find something better and dedicate yourself to it.

[ Root sounds utterly comfortable admitting this, no trace of shame or reservation. If anything, she's proud. ]

I'm without her voice here, too. [ She can make decisions on her own, obviously -- she's been making hard choices on her own since she was a teenager -- but it's not the same. Sympathetically, ] You meant to stay with her forever, right? Just like I did. It hurts to be without her.

[ And she had, effectively, been with her forever in the end. Knowing the Machine took her voice after Root died to save Harold, an action effectively in her service as well, brings her immeasurable comfort. But it's still not the same as having her. ]