He'd gotten her to actually laugh, which was so much nicer than the fake laugh she'd forced out earlier. Ford found himself smiling despite everything — despite not knowing whether this was good enough to make her feel better about tomorrow, despite not knowing if even a confidence boost would help her with her social skills when it came down to it, despite not knowing if that would be enough for her to make an impression on anyone worth impressing. There were still so many things that could go wrong, but it was hard to keep them in mind in a moment like this. It was impossible not to smile when Grace laughed.

"I'll try to stay out of your way," he said, squeezing her a little tighter for just a moment before he let her go. "But you ought to get some sleep. I'll see you for breakfast tomorrow," he promised.