Re: Thorsens at home
They hadn't talked about it as much as they probably should have, but it was hard for Iris to work past the return of a panic that settled heavy under her ribcage in order to find the words to ask him about it. What she'd done instead was to stay close, remind them both that he was alive and safe. And if that came in the form of reaching out a hand, pressing close, careful touches of fingertips to skin (or the desperate and almost out of control, relief-filled lovemaking the first night he'd returned from the dead), neither of them complained or found anything wrong with it.
Everything seemed fragile in the days after, and once she rediscovered her equilibrium with Manning's comforting presence once again in the house, she set out to do what she could to once again reassure TJ. It may have been a case of too-little, too-late, but she was doing what she could. And of course, Manning being close was also helping. It was helping all of them, in fact - even AJ seemed calmer.
He may have been nearly silent coming into the bedroom, but Iris saw his broad figure in the doorway before he even stepped over the threshold. She had a softly grateful smile to see him there, and though both of her hands had been claimed by their children, her expression was invitation enough for him to join them there on the bed. His weight shifted the mattress like it always did, and there was another round of resettling as the four of them found their most comfortable positions. Iris ended up leaning back into Manning's bulk with a soft sigh, and turned her head enough to press her cheek to his. "Hi," she whispered, not wanting to break the stillness of the moment.