"I'm sorry," Irene uttered, knowing there was no excuse. "I didn't want to burden you."
She felt ashamed because Henry had made himself more than worthy of being her confidant, yet she couldn't bring herself to burden him. It was so much nicer to see him smile than to see him worried.
"Have I ever seemed too busy to listen to the worries of the woman I love?" he wondered. "Not that you've ever burdened me with too much of anything."
"No, Henry—"
"I'm not upset," he assured her. "I'm genuinely asking. Because I want you to know that I'm never too busy for something like this. I want you to feel like you can go to me for anything because that's the way I feel about you. Each time I held you or leaned onto you for support while I healed made me realize I could trust you with myself. That is what I want to be for you as well."
"I understand…" Irene trailed off, her gaze falling from her Commander, unable to face the disappointment laced in his words or present in his expression.
