The wheels touched down with a soft jolt, and Lea's fingers instinctively tightened around the armrest. The cabin's low hum shifted to the grinding sound of the landing gear. She felt Hugo's hand slide over hers — not in a dramatic gesture, just a warm, firm anchor as the plane slowed.
"We're here," he said quietly. Not the same phrase he always used, but softer, as if he was letting her borrow his steadiness.
Lea exhaled, her chest fluttering with a cocktail of excitement and nerves. She had never been greeted in another country by strangers before, and the knowledge that people might be waiting outside for Hugo — or even for her, now — made her stomach twist. She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, trying to look collected.
Hugo noticed the tiny movement and smiled to himself. She wasn't the timid girl from before anymore, not entirely; she had her own fan base now, yet she still fidgeted as if no one could possibly be interested in her.
