Suddenly, she could feel tears pooling in her eyes, that influx of emotion that rose far above her head and left her drowning. Cissie was... she was something else. Brave, without a shade of a doubt, brave and sure of herself in a way that Claire definitely wasn't yet, and didn't think that she'd be in the years to come. She felt awful about leaving her friend behind, but at the same time, maybe this was the only way Claire could even hope of finding a similar amount of that steel that she envied so much. This was a decision that she had to make.

"Yeah," she nodded quickly, rushing forward to squeeze Cissie in a tight hug. "Yeah, I'll be right back. Stay safe, okay?"

And with a whirl of hair, she turned around with one last look over her shoulder, then ran toward where she knew her father would be.