Tommy's tone of voice had changed, becoming strangely serious. Valla moved closer to him, her toes finding a rock down below to maintain her balance. When he spoke, indicating that he had overheard her conversation with Abby, Valla knew she should be embarrassed, but she wasn't; it felt good to be exposed to Tommy, Valla had never experienced that sensation before.<br/><br/>"Abby pointed some things out to me," Valla said. "And I think she was right."<br/><br/>It felt suddenly as though her heart was trembling and might burst open. All the fear and terror she had experienced since the storm, the desperation, the frustration, the physical toil and moments of despair, led unexpectedly to a connection with the unlikliest of young men. Valla didn't understand it, but she felt it, more at this moment than ever before.<br/><br/>This onrush of emotion brought the sting of tears to her eyes, and Valla found herself struggling to control herself. "Tommy, I was so afraid when I saw you lying there in the forest! You were bleeding, I thought you were dead!"