I want to believe that, he almost repeats. Sometimes he can believe it for other people. That they were just chewed up and spat out and what came after was because of their grit, their ability to survive, and it says very little about the people that hurt them. But sometimes -

Yeah. That's the trick, isn't it? Because what if it hadn't happened, and then they weren't strong enough to survive what came next?

Breathe out, Carve, Leah murmurs, and he does.

"I never would've let him do to it to Matthew," he says instead, meeting Rosita's eyes. That feels important. He needs her to know that. "Never, Rosita."