One reason Cerie was grateful she had Kenneth was that he made her feel safe. While she was definitely no "damsel in distress", she did still have her moments where she needed a little help. She was used to often being admired at work. She either didn't notice or didn't care. But sometimes guys would be way too obvious and make her slightly uncomfortable.
She one day found herself looking back on something that happened before she was divorced and before she and Kenneth got together. She remembered she was at her desk being hit on by an obnoxious frat boy/intern. She tried to shrug him off because she wasn't the least bit interested, but he persisted to the point where she was annoyed and uneasy. It seemed as it he was about to grab her arm, when Kenneth walked by and spoke up. He always seemed to be there when he was needed the most. He continued to defend Cerie and insist that the stranger leave her alone, until the intern eventually gave up and sauntered off, angry and defeated.
Cerie thanked Kenneth and he replied with a smile and a nod. All he said before walking off was "I'll always be here to protect you, Miss Cerie." She watched him as he left, smiling. That was one of the first moments where she really noticed how special he really was. And then, months later, while she could still stand up for herself just fine, it was comforting to know that she would always have Kenneth to protect her, no matter what.