He replayed the hallway argument and the assumptions. He understood, finally, that loving Adam meant loving all of him: the good, the stubborn, the foolish, and the kind. Adam’s choices had been his own. Vance’s failures as a father mattered, but they weren’t the only reason the story ended at this curve.
He placed the compass on the barrier, exactly where the metal had once buckled. “You were wrong about one thing,” he said quietly. “You weren’t just a driver. Your choices mattered. So do mine. I’m still here. I’ll do better with what’s left.” Then he stepped back and let the wind spin its needle.