So many good points! Thank you! :) I think I’m going to make the dialogue exchange about the bruise a bit more light-hearted and playful. Maybe add some humour. That actually makes a lot of sense within the context of the story.

The point you make about the optics of the bruise not really being indicative of how much it might hurt is really interesting, too. And I like the idea of the glancing blow!

Thank you so much for your input and sharing your experiences!