A simple invitation can matter when the rest of someone’s day contains little casual conversation.

An invitation gets weighed against the rest of the week. For someone whose days already hold plenty of talk, a coffee is pleasant and easily missed; for someone living alone, working remotely, or caring for a person who cannot converse, it might be the only unhurried exchange in a fortnight. You cannot see the difference from outside.

Send the small invitation you keep meaning to send, without waiting for a good reason or a better plan. Make it easy to decline and easy to accept. If they say no, ask again in a month rather than reading it as an answer.