Mercury with Venus this eve

I was lucky tonight! My friend Donna lives down the block from me by the prospect expressway texts me and asks if that was Venus low over the horizon . Unknown to me she's on her roof. I have a problem with tall homes and trees blocking the view where tonight Crescent Venus is in conjunction with Mercury which is hard to get cause of its innermost orbit never rises high enough. Anyway after getting Donna s text I rushed out to look. And sonagun a sliver of sky between a house and tree there's Venus ! And initially I couldn't find mercury but I was looking too near Venus and thus exxpanding my search I find pale white Mercury!  Just below at 7  am direction Just awesome!   Thanks to Donna. Here's my lucky view. 1 pm from the street lamp is Venus bright spot next to the tree.

Why Venus is crescent?

https://earthsky.org/astronomy-essentials/tracking-venus-in-late-2019-and-early-20