Normally, she'd have whined and fussed about the roll of his eyes. Instead, she looked down, tightening her grip on the chair despite the pain it caused in her fingers. As he continued to speak, she looked up at him, expression fragile. She had been trying desperately to remain the strong one, here. She didn't want to be fragile and weak, but it was hard. Strength didn't come to you overnight, and you couldn't get it just because you wanted it badly. You had to work for it, and you had to shoulder it. And that wasn't easy. Not by a long shot.
"Okay," she said finally with a slight nod. "I know you're different, you...look different. But." She gulped. "I'm not going to forget that anytime soon. And I think a part of me will be scared about this for a long time."