As he packed to leave, Arthur told his mother about the Medal of Heroism. Instead of being overjoyed, she looked worried. He tried to be as vague as possible regarding how he got it, but it seems this wasn't the source of her worries.
"Art," She held his hand and talked to him in a quiet, unusual, tone. "I'm proud that you helped our country, but please understand…" She paused. "Not everyone deserves to be helped. Your father was the first person to step up if the need arose, but where did that lead him? To be kind to others is to be cruel to oneself, even unknowingly."
Arthur saw the sorrow of a woman who had lost her loved one in her eyes. At that moment, he didn't view his mother as the nagging and authoritative figure but a fragile woman who had been too much. He couldn't say anything but nod and his mother smiled weakly as she rubbed his shoulder.
