Mike pulled Sandy into a tight hug, held him against him, anchored him. And he whispered, his voice rough, "You did what you had to. You cared for them. You loved them. You still do, so you... you kept a secret that would've broken them. I... I do the same thing every time I look at my father. Because he's a fucking ray of sunshine and if I told him the truth, he'd fracture, and I don't want anybody else to be broken like me."

A breath and he managed, after pulling back to look into Sandy's eyes, "I'm proud of you. So damn proud. Staying together through all that. And I'm glad he made it up to you, at least a little - at least a start. You... You are a hell of a person, Sanderson Hawkins, and I'm going to keep reminding you of that."