[Well clearly that just means he has to explain!]

Ah -- a liminal state is a state of transition, of being in-between. When you leave one place but have not yet arrived at your destination, you are in a liminal state.

[He'd thought he'd arrived, finally, at his destination. His destination was a singular universe and a family and a certain boat. And yet, here he is. He'll fall back into it easily. He already has.]