He understood. He understood everything. Her. Deeply. And it was okay. Everyone needed to find their independence, to learn about themselves, to be free. What kind of friend would he have been if he didn't allow them that? It would have been so easy to keep them all in his orbit, carefully preserved and unchanging year after year, but he couldn't do that. It wasn't fair. So he'd let them go, one by one. And it had hurt like nothing had ever hurt before. But they'd all come back to him. Each on their own terms. And they were stronger for it. Their friendships were stronger for it. It would never be the same again, but change wasn't always bad.

Adam just held her, murmuring any comforting thing that came to mind but thinking furiously all the while. You needed to know. You needed to know what life is like without me. It was important. Someday it could save everyone. Forgive me, Pepper. I've hurt you so many times. But you're the strongest. You always have been. The strongest.

He tightened his grip. "'s all right. I'll go back for your book and your flowers later."