There's a moment relief, but it's short lived. He's shaking his head even before Peter tries to say--
"Don't," He says. The word is a little choked in his own throat. He shakes his head more and the moves, getting to his knees to face the boy.
"Peter, look at me. Look at me." His hand reaches out, trying to lift Peter's head, to cup the side of his face with a skeletal hand. He looks pained, but not because of his arm or the amulet.
"We make mistakes. Sometimes we're too late. And I know how hard that is to accept. I can understand if sometimes you feel like... there's something broken that no one else can see like you can." Something deeper than just being a general mess on a daily basis. Something hurting and maybe a little rotten.
"But he's wrong. And so are you. Your uncle wouldn't want this in his right mind. Your Tía loves you. You've got your friends here and where you came from, who think the world of you, who wouldn't know what to do without you. You mean so much, too much to say things like that. You went through something terrible and that can be so heavy, that burden, that guilt. We know. But no matter what happens to any of us, if we're truly ourselves, then I promise. We would want you here. We love you, mijo."
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"Don't," He says. The word is a little choked in his own throat. He shakes his head more and the moves, getting to his knees to face the boy.
"Peter, look at me. Look at me." His hand reaches out, trying to lift Peter's head, to cup the side of his face with a skeletal hand. He looks pained, but not because of his arm or the amulet.
"We make mistakes. Sometimes we're too late. And I know how hard that is to accept. I can understand if sometimes you feel like... there's something broken that no one else can see like you can." Something deeper than just being a general mess on a daily basis. Something hurting and maybe a little rotten.
"But he's wrong. And so are you. Your uncle wouldn't want this in his right mind. Your Tía loves you. You've got your friends here and where you came from, who think the world of you, who wouldn't know what to do without you. You mean so much, too much to say things like that. You went through something terrible and that can be so heavy, that burden, that guilt. We know. But no matter what happens to any of us, if we're truly ourselves, then I promise. We would want you here. We love you, mijo."