"Oh Kat," Erica breathed, unable to pretend that she thought this was a great idea. But Kat's lowered hers, her body language - Erica didn't want to be the one to make her feel even worse. "Come here," she said to her daughter, taking her hand and pulling her into a hug. "This is a really massive thing."
Manuel didn't argue with his wife, but he knew that Kat was enough of an adult to be able to handle this. Kat was tough. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, giving it a squeeze. "How about I put the kettle on for all of us?"