Tears still falling down her face, Mary sucks in air and sniffles as she feels the ground beneath her feet again. She blinks, surprised and clearly confused, as the man offers her his arm. What was this? It wasn't a gesture that she'd ever experienced. Not from her father, not from her many siblings, and not from Ib or Garry. Mary stares for a long moment before it registers what he's doing. She'd read about this in a book, she realizes. It's called an embrace!

And so she latches on at once, only as strong as any other child her size would be, but her little fists are not at all lacking in fierceness as she holds herself tightly against him. As if he'd change his mind. His body is so warm, it makes her want to cry even more.

"Together? You promise?"

Together. Isn't that what she'd been asking for, for so long?