Frederic swallowed and gave a sigh. He reached to hug Karen, and if she let him, he pulled her close to him and kissed the top of her head. "I just- You looked nervous earlier, a number of times, or even scared, and it got me worrying-" He paused. "But it wasn't your fault," he quickly reassured, "I just don't want you to do this if you have doubts." Not to mention his own worries about how this would affect her. He'd been going into this blindly, and this was the first time he'd really stepped back and thought about the consequences. "I love you," he said, then repeated it, more definitive, "I love you, Karen. And I want this. But if you're not ready..."