His stubbornness made her want to shake him, but now that she'd made the connection in her head she couldn't deny the sense of it. She might be trying to protect him physically, but she was also trying to protect herself emotionally. If this was part of trying to control things, perhaps she really should step back and take a breath.
Julianna let go of Nathan's hands and closed the distance between their chairs to put her arms around his shoulders. It was never easy for her to ask for support, and thus far they hadn't had the sort of relationship that made it easy for her now. Being companionable in the afterglow wasn't the same thing as asking him to tend to her emotional needs. But in the moment of Now, what she needed was comfort to make the icy knot of terror start to melt.
"You're right." Her voice was muffled because she had her face pressed against the side of his neck. The girl behind the counter was looking at them, probably thinking that Nathan was being very patient with his worried mother. Julianna didn't care what she thought.
"There are things I can do to make you safer, but I can't make up your mind for you. I am afraid. Terrified. But I don't want you to go away."
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ninetydegrees
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on 2013-12-01 10:13 pm (UTC)Julianna let go of Nathan's hands and closed the distance between their chairs to put her arms around his shoulders. It was never easy for her to ask for support, and thus far they hadn't had the sort of relationship that made it easy for her now. Being companionable in the afterglow wasn't the same thing as asking him to tend to her emotional needs. But in the moment of Now, what she needed was comfort to make the icy knot of terror start to melt.
"You're right." Her voice was muffled because she had her face pressed against the side of his neck. The girl behind the counter was looking at them, probably thinking that Nathan was being very patient with his worried mother. Julianna didn't care what she thought.
"There are things I can do to make you safer, but I can't make up your mind for you. I am afraid. Terrified. But I don't want you to go away."