The Man He's Grown To Be

Celia stared at her hand where it rested for a moment and marveled at how small it was compared to Callum's.

She was by no means a below-average in size woman - despite how skinny she was, her height was significant. Yet there the commander was making her feel like she was dainty despite having towered above most women for much of her life. 

Her eyes drifted to Callum's face. 

The first time they had a late-night meal together, she suddenly noticed the man he had become. It wasn't his height or the way he was suddenly comfortable enough to take care of everything with a second thought, but it was the way she found herself becoming nervous because of him. 

When they were both teenagers, he never had that effect on her but something certainly changed and she blamed it entirely on her loneliness. She knew already that Henry would be so upset with her if she let this strange crush on the commander continue.