Svetlana looked back at Azrael, her smile fond and loving. "He's my best friend," she said, carefully avoiding saying he was her only friend.
"I'm glad that kind of terrible situation ended this way," Thomas said seriously. He was having a very hard time not gathering Svetlana into his arms and promising to be her father forever and ever right then and there. "Look...Svetlana, you have family here whenever you need it, alright? I mean it."
Svetlana blushed slightly, ducking her head. "That is really very kind of you."