Maria did not know how long she cried for, but at some point, she had brought her legs up to rest over Arthur's lap so that she could be snuggled up even closer to him.
She was grateful for his comfort and the fact that he held her without trying to talk to her or without telling her to calm down.
He simply let her grieve in the way that she needed to, and in the time that she needed.
She focused on the rhythm of his chest moving up and down, and tried to match her breathing to it in order to calm herself down.
By the time she got her breathing settled, the tears she had shed had already dried on her face that she was sure must have been red from exertion.
Feeling too vulnerable to face Arthur, she kept her head on his chest but told him, "Thank you for holding me, I think I needed it".
"Anytime."
He continued to stroke her hair as his other hand held tightly to her thigh, just above her kneecap.
