Negotiating an offer, is it too late? - 10 months and counting

It is the first offer in 10 months and I do not want to mess it up. The hiring manager was friendly and open. What wording worked?

Ask about the range, not a number on its own. It felt more collaborative.

Thanks for writing this out. I went through something close to it last year, and it settled down once I kept a simple log of every call and form.