"edie, wait - "
she turned, though the smile that she had been prepared with quickly faltered once edith saw henry.
"...oh." was all she managed.
"oh?" henry was smiling, an eagerness in his eyes that she didn't have the heart to argue with. "that's all?"
"of course not, henry," edie relented, pulling her friend into a hug and holding tight, as if her arms along might keep him here in britchester. they were in their final year, so close to graduating and sorting our the rest of their lives. but who knew if they would even get that chance now.
"hey, don't," his voice was gentle, nudging her back enough to see the tears threatening to spill. "i'll be back before you know it, alright? you'll see."
"you'd better," somehow she managed a small laugh, charmed again by the same farm boy naivete that he'd first come to the university with four years ago. "i mean it. don't make me come all the way out there myself to drag you back."
for the first time, his mood faltered. something nervous passed over his face, perhaps a short lived understanding of the gravity of what he was being sent into. "i won't," he said quietly.
"i'll miss you," she said, tugging at his arm like a child. "all of you."
"but me specifically, yeah?" there it was again, that self assured grin.
"you specifically," she confirmed, leaning close. "yes."