[ Bastien's watching her without subtlety, while he follows that up with a nod and a scooting-aside of what he'd been working on before. He'd heard she was back, maybe glimpsed her, but he could guess her more-or-less correct priorities—work, husband, more work—and let that be enough.
When he stands up and comes around the desk, it's mostly to fetch a chair for her. But that trajectory brings him in reaching distance, and that's what he does. He's a good hugger, for the record. And a conscientious one. It only lasts two seconds before he's stepped back, hand on one of her shoulders instead. ]
You made me doubt your invincibility for a minute there, [ he says, not all that lightly. ]
BOY DO I
[ Bastien's watching her without subtlety, while he follows that up with a nod and a scooting-aside of what he'd been working on before. He'd heard she was back, maybe glimpsed her, but he could guess her more-or-less correct priorities—work, husband, more work—and let that be enough.
When he stands up and comes around the desk, it's mostly to fetch a chair for her. But that trajectory brings him in reaching distance, and that's what he does. He's a good hugger, for the record. And a conscientious one. It only lasts two seconds before he's stepped back, hand on one of her shoulders instead. ]
You made me doubt your invincibility for a minute there, [ he says, not all that lightly. ]