“That was…you?”
“Of course,” Walter said, as though it were merely his duty.
And Nathan supposed it was.
“That I could have done more…” Walter said, trailing sadly, his eyes drooping slightly as he let his arm drop. “If I could have, please know, Nathan, that I would have done anything. Yours was always going to be a heavy burden, but you have the strength to choose a greater destiny than any man before you. And it is my privilege to be at your side.”
Nathan jerked forward again, not sure what he wanted at first. Then he released Walter’s arm and pulled the man in for a tight hug, something he’d never been able to do before, even when he was just a scared little boy who would have asked for nothing more.