Finding the words

The first conversation was halting, with both of us stopping to search for familiar words. By the end it was lively, interrupted by laughter rather than long silences. We had spent most of the hour describing what we cooked at home. Nobody had introduced an impressive topic or corrected every mistake. The change came from discovering enough shared detail to ask a question whose answer we actually wanted to hear.

From the passage, select two words or phrases that describe how the conversation developed.