Even in the dim light coming from the hall she could see that much.
Seven years ago, she would have demanded to know who did this to him. Maybe two or three years ago, she would have called him an idiot. It didn’t really matter either way. Without a word, Alex wrapped her arms around Hamish, gently in case there was any further damage below his shirt. He still dwarfed her. If she could reach, she would have kissed his forehead but she settled for this instead.
They didn’t have to be together for Alex to need him safe, home, taken care of. Whatever had gone on, and she hated to let her mind whir that way, it was over now.
“ It’s okay. I’ve got a freezer full of ice, looks like you’re going to need it.”
Married or not, this would always be the place he could find safety. Starting out in her messy flat, drinking to the small hours, playing vinyl albums back to back. And now learning to find a way to be friends, to settle into adulthood.
His clothes were soaked through, and she was starting to shiver just holding him.
“ C’mon. I’m sure I’ve got some of your old shirts lying around. Let me take a look at you, yeah?”
Hers was the only place he could have gone to. Not only because everyone else would have thrown a fit and demanded answers as soon as they’d seen him like this on their doorstep. Not only because he didn’t want anyone else to know. Most of all, it was because no one else made him feel as safe as she did. Even after everything they’d been through.
After all this time apart.
He held back tears as she wrapped her arms around him, feeling as though he’d been holding his breath until this very moment, and was finally able to melt away into her embrace.
Swallowing hard, he attempted a brave face for only a moment when she eventually pulled away, before quickly deciding there was no point. Not with her. She could read him like an open book anyway, and they had both seen each other at their lowest. She was one of the only people he felt no shame in being vulnerable around, even after their split.
Offering her a faint but genuine smile instead, he hoped she knew how grateful he was as he followed her inside.
“Finn’s with Nan. Shopping weekend in Stockholm...” He eventually said, knowing that out of all the questions she was likely burning with, whether or not their daughter was safe was the most important one. Secondly, her own safety.
“No one knows I’m here, made sure of that.”