Nathaniel let out a quiet laugh, clearly unbothered by her glare.

“I was just suggesting you relax,” he said mildly, tightening his arm around her. “Your mind’s running in circles. That’s worse for you.”

Cecilia turned slightly in his embrace, still annoyed. “Relax? You call that relaxing?”

“It works better than overthinking,” he replied.

She wanted to argue again, but the steady warmth of his hold made it harder to stay angry. After a moment, she exhaled and stopped resisting.

“You really think Jon will handle it?” she asked more quietly.

Nathaniel’s voice softened. “He already is. He’s not a child who panics over this kind of thing.”