There's a knot in her chest. She exhales, smiling tightly, the bridge of her nose brushing the curve of his jaw.

"What a pair we make."

Her answering self-depreciation is tempered with humor. If they can't laugh, what are they to do? But more than that, it's filled with kinship.

There's no need to be embarrassed. This is a safe space, filled with understanding and affection.