Miles Sherman reached out and wrapped his arms around Zoe Pierce.
Her tears dampened his clothes.
This was perhaps the first time in all these years that he was unwilling to give up his place to someone else on the team.
His large hand gently smoothed her hair, stroking it slowly downward.
Zoe Pierce unconsciously clutched the hem of his shirt. Her tears, no longer held back, soaked the fabric.
"In the future, you'll have a new family, new friends, a brand-new everything," Miles Sherman said softly. "It's okay for now. You're just feeling sad for a little while."
His words were gentle and steady.
He held nothing back, softly catching her.
Her heart, which had been aching to the point of suffocation, slowly began to regain its strength.
When she finally lifted her face, Zoe Pierce had stopped crying.
It was as if, just as Miles Sherman had said, her sadness had only been for a moment.
