Lyndin didn’t mind the closeness and, though he didn’t comment on it, he certainly didn’t seem to be unhappy with it. He continued to rub at Aliez’s back gently, trying to give him something to focus on while he worked through his emotions.
“No stress, Aliez. There’s nothing I want from you except to know that you’re doing your best. And, that includes doing your best to take care of yourself. I know things are complicated and difficult to navigate. I know there are going to be unforeseen issues that we couldn’t have predicted or prepared for. I need you to be at your best so you and the others can help me work through them.”
He wasn’t in this alone; he
couldn’t do it alone.
And, he didn’t expect them to do all of the hard work. He wasn’t going to force them to do any more than they thought they were capable of.
Except, he had confidence in their capabilities, and he wanted to guide them in the direction to see that, too.
“Thank you for helping me understand, Aliez. I’m going to work harder–not overwork myself harder, but refocus some of my goals. There’s a lot that I want to do for you all, too. I know how hard you’ve been working, and I want to see that rewarded. I know we haven’t reached our goals yet, but I like to see the progress everyone is making. I know we’ll get there, eventually. I’m working on a few more things, I spoke to Vyn about some of it. I don’t want to just say thank you, I want to express my gratitude, too. I want us to all be okay, and I want us to move forward. Together.”
