And that's the thing. He can't assume -- he has never been able to assume -- that a declaration like that means what he thinks it means. What it might mean. What it could mean.

Because there have been hurdles and there have been barriers, the first and foremost being that for quite some time, Moiraine was under his care, or in some way his responsibility. She stayed in his apartment. She worked as the dispatcher at the station. It would have been deeply unethical -- immoral -- to say or do or think anything. And even if that barrier no longer exists -- and it doesn't, because Moiraine has her own job that has nothing to do with Twin Peaks law enforcement, and her own living space, and she isn't dependent on him any more --

There's still the small matter of the ex-husband.

This town has a bad history of marriages gone poorly, and new flames snuffed.

Not to mention Cooper's own history.

And Dale Cooper cannot, must not assume.

And yet --

"Of course I want you to stay," Cooper says, holding very, very still. "You've built a life here."