Reaching up to ruffle his hair, Sookie shakes her head at Derek's admissions before looping her arm with his and turning both of them away from the forest, back towards the city. The forest may be a comfort to Derek at times, but right now, she suspects that it might serve instead as too many reminders of what he's recently lost and won't be able to get back. He needs to move forward.

"Don't feel guilty about missing someone. No matter what, you can't let yourself feel guilty about missing someone," she says, squeezing his arm. "It's okay to know that you've got blessings but to miss one thing more than you miss others. She was your sister. The person closest to you. I... you know, the first Christmas I spent without gran was so painful I don't even know how to start, and that's even though I still had my brother with me. I still have him here in the city, even, just like how you've got people here too. But just because you have good things doesn't mean that you won't miss those you've lost."

Pressing her cheek briefly against Derek's shoulder, Sookie then turns to get a better look at him. "Is there anything I can do to help? I can boss you around, if that would make you feel better at all, or, or we could go shopping for presents, talk about other people, get drinks. I can be either a listening ear or a distraction. Whatever you need."