"I care about you." An absolute truth. One she is so certain of, not even the still persistent whispering of the Not-Sans can disrupt her hold on it. She hasn't said it before outright, at least not unprompted by his own affection. She forgets to do that at times (truly her father's daughter...), but now, when he looks so small, she needs him to know that.

She blows out a breath, "All right. But I'm holding to you to that." And maybe she'll go bother Miles for a few details in between. In the meantime, her eyes cut to where the spector is standing, snarling. "...It hurts less, now, to be honest with you."