Her initial reaction was to withdraw from him, to snatch her hand away and protect herself from the embarrassment and shame. If only she wasn't so bloody arrogant. If only she had followed instructions. The blast might've still happened, but perhaps the curse wouldn't have affected her. Perhaps she would've been fast enough to thwart it with a spell.

Perhaps there was a future that didn't involve hopelessness.

"I missed you as well. I'm only sorry I didn't visit sooner," she confessed as she placed her hand back on the table for him to hold. Leaving him to further stress over her condition was cruel, especially after he appeared to be so ready to care for her. "Is it alright if I visited again? I promise to send warning." How glorious it would be to have a place to hide from her family should he agree. "I won't frighten you half to death again."