[ It's better that he doesn't. That he diverts to her shoulder, doesn't touch her hair. Physical contact has always been a thing she's limited to people she's comfortable with, but there's an intimacy to his first gesture that wouldn't have been appropriate. That might not ever be again.
But a hand on her shoulder is a welcome weight, and her free hand lifts him, curls around his to offer a squeeze in return. It's a thank you. It's appreciation. It's a sign of her own progress in healing, after a fashion. She's spent a long time keeping her hurts to herself, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Letting someone else help lift, if only for a little while, is huge progress for the likes of Carolina. ]
Only you could manage that accidentally. [she's smiling very slightly, just at the corners of her mouth, but there's amusement in her voice. She can always stand to hear this story again.]
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But a hand on her shoulder is a welcome weight, and her free hand lifts him, curls around his to offer a squeeze in return. It's a thank you. It's appreciation. It's a sign of her own progress in healing, after a fashion. She's spent a long time keeping her hurts to herself, carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.
Letting someone else help lift, if only for a little while, is huge progress for the likes of Carolina. ]
Only you could manage that accidentally. [she's smiling very slightly, just at the corners of her mouth, but there's amusement in her voice. She can always stand to hear this story again.]