For a moment, Nimmie was overwhelmed. Choked by grief, by sadness, by guilt. Even her joy seemed to paralyze her, crushing her even tighter than Tori’s embrace. She felt afraid. After everything that had happened, what could she possibly say that wouldn’t sound insincere? After all, [i]she’d left Tori.[/i] 

Though she hadn’t thought about it in those terms at the time, the dissolution of their team, the death and despair that had surrounded them... they’d broken Nimmie. And she’d needed time to repair herself. But that was time she couldn’t have been there for Tori. And by the time she went looking, it seemed like Tori had moved on without her. She’d been too late. Now she had a chance to make amends. And she was [i]blowing it.[/i]

How could she fix it? What could she say that would undo the damage wrought by time, and patch the hole in their hearts where their teammates... where their [i]friends[/i] had been? She couldn’t think of anything. She had to act. But she couldn’t think of anything!

Then Tori, caught between incoherent sobs, said the words that made everything seem to fall into place. Nimmie closed her eyes and returned the hug with her one good arm, wrapping it around Tori with just as much strength and warmth as she had.

“I missed you too!” she said, her voice choked with emotion. Even though she couldn’t cry, wasn’t [i]able[/i] to cry, those words seemed to carry all the meaning she’d ever need. [i]I missed you too.[/i]

“I’m sorry,” Nimmie sobbed dryly, her cheeks wet with nothing but the steam inside the small workshop. “I’m [i]sor-r-r-y![/i] I shouldn’t have left! I shouldn’t! Tori-I missed you! I miss everyone!”

The world wasn’t right. Nothing would ever be alright again after what had happened to them. But right then, the world seemed to contract and fit into just that one room, if only for a little bit. And everything in that tiny world the size of a garage was good. Not right. But good.