Her heart turned over when she saw him wipe his face, then heard the tears in his voice. She didn't embarrass him by turning to look to confirm it; instead she just gave a gentle smile and busied herself with moving her feet up over the hill -- carefully and slowly enough that she was sure he'd be all right while she did it.
Beauty was glad she had more than enough money saved from her job to supply herself with the things the City had stopped supplying. Here and there, she'd heard complaints from other people about the lack --- but she never really stopped feeling ill at ease with having been waited on by invisible servants. It felt more honest to work for a living. Her work was easy, these days at the bookstore, but it hadn't always been like that. She remembered tending a house of 4 -- and she still could do it. It was nothing to her to take in another person. And it was so clear that he needed someone to do it.
"You're welcome," she said very gently. And, as she opened the cottage door, she pulled her arm away from him again and instead led him into her home. "If you'd like to sit down," she said, gesturing to the tiny table in the corner and its two chairs, "I'll bring you something to eat. After you've eaten, you can wash up and rest. Do you have a job? I think I might be able to talk to someone to see if he has a position open where I work..."
Unbidden, a memory woke and stretched in her mind. Someone had offered her the same kindness when she first arrived, herself. She smiled, somewhat painfully, and turned to prepare her guest something to eat.