He pushes her wheelchair into an empty area of their family room. He puts the breaks on the chair and moves to kneel in front of her chair.
"Are you ready?" He asks her.
Last year she was on a mission that went south. She doesn't have any memory of what happened and there weren't any other team members who saw the attack. The recovery process has been long, but with the help of physical therapy, she has learned how to walk again. Today, she is going to try walking without someone helping her, or using a walker.
She pushes fly-away hairs behind her ears and takes a deep breath. Panic starts to form on her face. "No. What if I can't?"
He takes her face in both hands, and his fingertips rub against her scalp comfortingly. "Hey, you'll be fine. Your PT coach says you're doing great. You've done this before."
After a few minutes, she nods and he hears a whispered "Okay". He gives her a kiss on the forehead after giving a reassuring smile. He stands and lets her slowly stand from the wheelchair. Minutes pass and eventually she's standing on her own. She shifts her weight from foot to foot and shakes her head.
"I can't do it. I want the walker."
"You've got this. I'll be here to catch you if you fall."
She licks her lips and takes a step. Then another. And another. With every step she takes, he takes one step back. She takes almost twenty steps before her legs give out beneath her and she falls. As promised, he catches her and the two fall to the ground.
"I did it." She says through tears of joy. "I walked."
"Yes, you did."