She closed her eyes and made herself breathe. “You can’t what?”

His eyes flickered at her, uncertain. “I can’t deal with all of this.”

She shoved her hands into her jeans pockets and smiled sadly. “Yes, you can.”

His voice grated softly with anger. “How would you know?”

“Because I did. And I’ve never been as strong as you.”

She watched as his brief fury deflated, leaving behind the eyes of a confused boy. Her heart swelled and cracked. She’d expected anger. But sadness…it just hurt too much.

She stepped forward, wrapped her arms around him, and cried.

“I’m sorry.”