"Jasper," Katherine finally choked out when she found her voice, but by then he had already gone.
"You're going to be okay, Kit," she heard Charles say as he stroked his hand up and down her back. "Take as long as you need. There is no rush."
Katherine closed her eyes again and focused on her breathing as Charles held her tightly, which oddly enough made her feel secure. She had felt like the walls were closing in on her, but the embrace she was wrapped in made her feel comforted in the same way a weighted blanket would.
Once she was no longer gasping and her breathing returned to normal, Charles started to talk to her again. "I remember at my mom's funeral that I felt like I was going to die too. I was fine until I wasn't, and it felt like the weight of the world was going to crush me, like my body was caving in on itself. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't see straight, and I couldn't control my body."
