Strength in Restraint

Her thumb pressed lightly, reassuring. “He’s trying, even when it looks like he’s stumbling. And he will stumble. But his heart is in the right place.” A faint smile curved her lips. “Just… don’t give up on him too quickly.”

She squeezed Lyra’s shoulder once more. “He needs time. And he needs someone who sees the man beneath the armor.”

A small smile curved her lips. “The way you handled things