She didn't slow as she approached, launching herself at me with complete trust that I would catch her. I opened my arms just in time, staggering slightly under the impact as she collided with me and immediately wrapped her arms around my neck in a desperate embrace.
"I thought... I thought you were going to leave without saying goodbye," she sobbed into my shoulder, her tears soaking through my coat. "I thought…you were angry…"
"You are the one who ignored me and ran away," I said laughing as I held her steady in my arms.
"I... I was scared," she said, her voice small and broken. "I didn't know what to do with all these feelings, with the thought of you leaving. I thought maybe if I didn't say goodbye, it wouldn't be real…"
"I will never be angry with you, Zoey. Not for being scared, not for running away, not for anything."
