“What’s wrong, love?” he asks gently once he sees the serious expression on her face. He approaches her slowly, carefully making sure that he’s not approaching too quickly and not frightening her.

Alexa doesn’t answer straight away. She takes a deep breath and tries to figure out whether or not she should speak. She’s never been able to hide anything from Eric, and knowing that he’ll always be there for her means that she trusts him completely.

And even though she feels nervous and anxious and confused, the fact that she knows he will be there for her always makes her feel better. He’s never made fun of her for...