He had known she would answer; what he hadn't expected was just how damn good she would look when she did. He couldn't speak for a moment, and he stepped towards her to meet her, even as she came to him without a word.
His arms went about her, pulling her to him tightly without a word. His head moved to the crook of her neck, into her tangle of red hair and he found himself talking a huge breath in, it coming out in a shaky exhale into her as he closed his eyes. He didn't want to let her go; this entire time that he'd been gone, he had acted the utter idiot, the fool. He was certain of it as he held her.
He spoke at last, "Hello, Lils. Damn, I've missed you," he said as he held her still, not pulling back but speaking into her hair, "I've been a sodding idiot," he added.