John wrapped his arms around Helen and held her tight to him, offering her all the comfort he could give. John was more than willing to give as much of himself as possible to Helen, or at least as much as she was realistically willing to take.

"I'm sorry things have been so hard on you," he said, resting his head on hers for a moment. It was such a familiar gesture, even after all these years, that it was hard not to think about what it would be like to have this every day.