[She breathes in sharply. Any other time, this might slide off her, but this time, the emotions boil up. How could he even suggest such a thing?]

Then I suppose it's fine that I won't be there to protect her. She can learn what missing me is really like.

[It's such a hateful thing to say, and it comes from lashing out at him. But her feelings for Herta have been the only strong feelings she's ever had, so they're the only strong feelings that she encounters now. Her hands ball into fists against her knees.]

But if it meant she ran away, then I...