Alex sighs and shakes her head. “No, it’s okay”, she reassures him, standing up from her chair and walking over to where Eric is. She places her hand on his shoulder and he stops pacing immediately. “It’s okay. There’s no need for you to stay here with me”, she assures him, leaning her head on his chest.

Eric wraps his arms around her and smiles softly down at her. “Are you sure? If you’re not feeling well, you can always come home with me. We’ll figure something out.” He doesn’t realize until after he says those words that this is probably the most ridiculous thing he has said in a...