He continued to stand at attention, but he felt the knot in his guts loosen.

Another knot of tension loosened on the woman's half-slack face.

It was as if a knot he felt in his belly were loosening.

The knot that had been in her belly since he'd pitched over loosened.

Rutledge felt the knot in his stomach loosen ever so slightly.

He felt the knots in his stomach loosen just a little.

The knot of pressure in her chest loosened a bit.

The knot tightening the lungs held for another second and then loosened.

Only then did the knot in her stomach loosen just a bit.

The people began to leave, and the knot around the priest loosened as they stepped aside to argue among themselves.