Fallon’s words were muffled by her arms, but Malou could hear the hurt in them, could see the shake of her shoulders as she cried. Gentle hands ran through Fallon’s hair, carefully making sure not to tug on the knots. For a moment Malou said nothing, just continued to silently support Fallon as she thought through what she ought to say.

Long minutes passed in the kitchen before Malou finally said, “And last night with Jesse…” She trailed off unsure just how to phrase her concerns. She’d never exactly had to worry about Fallon’s virtue before. Nor the emotional hold such an action might have over the decision.