They were-- are family too. It is why he first made those cookies for her, because he'd thought of her as family for such a long time. This was an impossible choice, but it was one they were forced to make. He still regrets it impossibly so. Ethan hasn't been able to think of it again, think of that moment again or he would have gone running back to her, wouldn't have been able to stop himself. Time was running out, and there was never-- never enough time. Never enough of anything, and it was all over too soon. He doesn't know where that door leads, doesn't know what's on the other side of it.
He sees the tears in her eyes, against her lashes. Ethan feels the tears burning at the edges of his own eyes as he swallows thickly with the emotion welling up tightly in his throat. He sees the way her expression nearly crumples, and he knows-- knows that is the same. There is a cookie recipe for that Ethan too, and he taught it to her and it is important. Ethan swallows thickly, and the tears finally slip down his face when she says she's sorry. "I am too," he says shakily.
He is sorry--
Ethan is sorry for so much, so much that can't be changed, so much-- his expression crumples when she slips her arms around his neck, and he buries his face against her shoulder there. "Things were-- They'd been a big mess, and there was never enough time," he says sharply. "There never would have been enough time. I regret it. Sometimes. Walking away." He doesn't know how he did it.
Can never know. His legs shaking with the-- the refusal to leave her, but there was no other choice. The world was ending. It'd gone to hell, and-- it is the sad reality of it.
no subject
He sees the tears in her eyes, against her lashes. Ethan feels the tears burning at the edges of his own eyes as he swallows thickly with the emotion welling up tightly in his throat. He sees the way her expression nearly crumples, and he knows-- knows that is the same. There is a cookie recipe for that Ethan too, and he taught it to her and it is important. Ethan swallows thickly, and the tears finally slip down his face when she says she's sorry. "I am too," he says shakily.
He is sorry--
Ethan is sorry for so much, so much that can't be changed, so much-- his expression crumples when she slips her arms around his neck, and he buries his face against her shoulder there. "Things were-- They'd been a big mess, and there was never enough time," he says sharply. "There never would have been enough time. I regret it. Sometimes. Walking away." He doesn't know how he did it.
Can never know. His legs shaking with the-- the refusal to leave her, but there was no other choice. The world was ending. It'd gone to hell, and-- it is the sad reality of it.