At the beginning and at the end of love, the two lovers are embarrassed to find themselves alone.

At the start nothing has settled, so a silence between two people feels like something that must be filled. At the end the ease has drained away and the same silence returns, this time carrying everything left unsaid. What sits between those two points is the rarer comfort of being quiet together without having to manage it.

Awkwardness alone in a room with someone is worth reading rather than papering over. Early on it usually means the thing is still forming. Later it can mean something has gone, and catching that early gives you a chance to ask about it while asking still helps.