Dirt just came back. Might as well let it build up into nice cushiony layers.

He watched her leave, noticing the transformation when she stepped out into the hall. It amazed him every time, how this fierce warrior could shrink, curl in on herself, and become just another awkward teenage girl, struggling with a ridiculously over-sized bag. It hurt to watch her, out there in this world, where she was alone. But at the same time, Stephen felt a kind of pride. Only two people knew the real Val, and he felt privileged to be one of them.