by Zoe Chant
“All right?” he asked her.
“Yes,” she said, “I think so. Sorry for flipping out.”
“Don’t apologize,” he said. “You were just scared. Anyone would have been scared.”
“Thank you,” she said. “Thank you so much for doing that. I thought I—I don’t know what would’ve happened.” She wrapped her arms around herself, and shivered a little.
The man stepped forward a little, reaching out, but stopped himself before he got too close. “There’s no need to thank me. Anyone would have stepped in. I’m just glad I was here.”
He had an odd way of smiling, she noticed; it was more in the way his face looked, like it brightened a little all over, than any real movement of his mouth.
“Not as glad as I am,” she said. “And not everyone would have done it.” Not everyone could turn into a lion and frighten them away, was maybe more to the point.
“Everyone should,” he said. “Looking out for other people is—uh, is something I can give a big lecture on. In different circumstances.”
Sam huffed a tiny laugh. His warm not-quite-a-smile and his sincere, open words were helping her relax even more than the breathing exercise had.
She wished she could have him here by her side all night. Her job would improve immensely, that was for sure.
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