"I know," he muttered in awe at the touch on his face; he knew what it was, a question in a touch, a verification of the proof being wiped away, leaving only what they knew had happened in their minds. He couldn't believe it. How was she standing here?

His brow pinched, head shaking a little bit at her timeline, obviously confused. Letting out a breath, he nodded, a strange half circular motion, stuck between a nod and a shake of his head.

"I was there for another month." He shook his head again, blinking away tears as he turned his head and glanced down before reaching over and pulling out a chair. "C'mon, sit down. Lemme see."

The rest of his work day was forfeit. Nothing mattered more than figuring this out and tending to what Athena needed. If she was fresh from that Place.. It had taken him weeks to reconstruct even a normal looking front. She was going to need the same.