Booker listened. He was good at that. Of course he wanted to immediately leap to the defense of his friends and say something stupid like none of them really got used to it and that coming for her right away had saved her. It wasn't about that. It was about her feelings.

"You're right. We're not always good at being gentle or considerate." He inclined his head towards her. "We've done what we can since getting you back to let you have that time. That space. Still, you can't run from it forever. I tried. If you ask the others will tell you what an asshole I was when I finally joined up."

Angry, grieving, and torn up by war Booker hadn't been in a good place. He had lashed out and it had hurt the others. It had resulted in him getting hurt a time or two.

"I looked at this like a curse for centuries. It felt like it. I think it was driving me mad. I don't know how to help you let that anger and uncertainty go. It took me until this vacation to really try. I can tell you it's a miserable way to live." Booker could see now that it had dragged him to a dark place and hurt himself mostly. Now he could be held when he needed it and loved when he needed it. He allowed himself those things again.