Hug him tighter

My arm from behind his shoulder tightened, and I brought him in for a hug. A tight hug that would hopefully silence the thoughts that clashed in his mind. And he relaxed into it, allowing his body to weaken as I held him against me. The dam broke as his tears flowed, drifting on his face as he leaned into the hug having let go of the tension that grew in him. And he cried and allowed his emotions to flow.

"It's okay, Leo. It's okay to cry." My comforting words helped him cry even more, and I allowed them to inhabit the space between us.

"You'll make it through stronger. You'll find yourself through it all." My serene voice carried the emotions for a while longer.

Eventually, our hug subsided.

"How about you go clean yourself up and we have ourselves a real party?" I asked him, smiling sweetly at his tired face.

"You have a point."

"I'll meet you at the toilets. The female ones, they're cleaner." I winked at him as he made his way there.