[When he frowned, Alex's own mirrored his, but she didn't look down. Instead, her dark eyes were fixated on his face because she knew how his posture and expression could tell so much more than he might have otherwise with his words, however many or few he happened to be using that day. Sometimes she expected that he could say the least when he used the most amount of words, especially when he was trying to talk around her.
That said, Alex did brace herself when he brought up Coralee. It wasn't a flinch, it was more of her holding herself a little more straight instead. Coralee was always going to hold onto a part of Strand's heart that Alex could never touch and she didn't blame him for that. But she also didn't want the specter of her life with Richard, and the way she disappeared to act as a shadow that stunted the growth of what Alex and Richard could have.
Her thoughts stopped when there was that my. Whenever Richard mentioned his father, it was that same biting tone, sharp and hard and with all of the anger that Howard Strand was due. Despite how he choked the word off and tried to change it, she knew that anger for what it was and who it was directed towards. Whatever had happened in those weeks, Howard and Coralee Strand were a part of it, she was certain of it now.
The fingers on his cheek moved down to cup his chin, and she held it for a second when he finally looked at her, and the questions were written all in her eyes. Alex was Alex and there would always be questions whether or not he was ready for them to be asked or for him to answer them. The most important of which, because Alex jumped into all of her more wild thoughts like someone trying to do a belly flop from a high dive:]
Richard. [His name was soft and the concern for him was evident.] Is Howard alive?
[Before he can answer, Alex just wrapped her hand around his and tugged him away from the din and towards a waiting bench so they'd have some privacy.]
no subject
That said, Alex did brace herself when he brought up Coralee. It wasn't a flinch, it was more of her holding herself a little more straight instead. Coralee was always going to hold onto a part of Strand's heart that Alex could never touch and she didn't blame him for that. But she also didn't want the specter of her life with Richard, and the way she disappeared to act as a shadow that stunted the growth of what Alex and Richard could have.
Her thoughts stopped when there was that my. Whenever Richard mentioned his father, it was that same biting tone, sharp and hard and with all of the anger that Howard Strand was due. Despite how he choked the word off and tried to change it, she knew that anger for what it was and who it was directed towards. Whatever had happened in those weeks, Howard and Coralee Strand were a part of it, she was certain of it now.
The fingers on his cheek moved down to cup his chin, and she held it for a second when he finally looked at her, and the questions were written all in her eyes. Alex was Alex and there would always be questions whether or not he was ready for them to be asked or for him to answer them. The most important of which, because Alex jumped into all of her more wild thoughts like someone trying to do a belly flop from a high dive:]
Richard. [His name was soft and the concern for him was evident.] Is Howard alive?
[Before he can answer, Alex just wrapped her hand around his and tugged him away from the din and towards a waiting bench so they'd have some privacy.]