She nodded, her lips twisting against her will, his kindness causing more stinging in her chest. “I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m sorry you’ve had to carry this, all of this, by yourself. Lord, what you’re made of, Vivvie.” He gathered her to his shoulder and held her there until she stopped crying, until the light had shifted significantly, and the day felt like a different day from the one they’d began. A hazy, dreamy day where nothing else was expected of them, and she said, “All right now. That’s enough. My ass is falling asleep.”
