Callen clenched his fists at the thought of her mother harming her like that on a regular basis, but he took a deep breath. There wasn't anything that he could do about it right now (though that didn't stop him from brainstorming ideas about things to do about it in the long run). "It's okay to get rattled," he said instead. "Especially since you have someone to listen."
The vegetables and sauce finished, he mixed them in with the pasta and the already cooked chicken, tossing everything together before dishing up two bowls.
"Table like civilized folk, counter like somewhat civilized folk, or couch like complete heathens?" he asked, gesturing for her to get the bottle of wine and two glasses he'd set out.