The look of pain on her face told Johnny more than he could have gotten out of her words. He had vanished on her. She'd had to be here without him. It hadn't just been the stasis that everybody had apparently gone through. The only question that wasn't answered for him was how long it had been.
Johnny shook his head, holding his arms out, inviting. Pleading.
His heart ached, not just because of her pain, but that he was seeing her now. That part was a good ache, though. He'd been worried. Of course, it must be bittersweet for Mary, moreso than it was for him.
He wanted to touch her, to feel her.
Slowly, he walked forward until he was less than a foot away. For a long minute, Johnny just stared into those eyes. This woman who managed to break through every wall he'd put up. Not just here, but in another life as well. She was special, and he didn't know what he would have done if she hadn't been here. It was a selfish thought. A cruel and selfish thought, especially given the fact that she'd clearly had to do without him.
Johnny reached up and ran the backs of his fingers along her cheek, feeling the warmth of her. He used his thumb to wipe the tears away from her eyes.