In his arms, Hunter felt love and compassion, and knew her father's words rang true. It wasn't his fault she'd neglected to correspond with him, when she needed him and he was aware of it, he made it point to come. Like he had today.

Life was short and fleeting, and the unknown scary at the same time.

She relaxed in his arms, nuzzling her face into his chest, knowing that in this moment she was safe. Even when everything else in the world felt daunting, her father's warmth was a constant.

It was just Hunter and her father, and he held her long enough for her tears to stop and dry. When he pulled her face away for a kiss, she smiled.

"Okay." She held her father's hand as they walked out of the study, her book bag stuffed with the school project she'd been working on. On to more happier subjects, Hunter gave him an update about how she was doing in her courses. The semester was going well despite all the chaos.