Jerrick's expression didn't change for some time, but slowly, his expression softened.
"Brother... I'll take my son," Jerrick's voice trembled as he struggled to rise to his feet. He reached for his son, but his legs, weakened from the weight of grief and exhaustion, gave out beneath him. Before he could collapse entirely, William was at his side, steadying him with firm hands.
Jerrick slumped against William's chest, his shoulders shaking with a sorrow that seemed boundless. His heart had shattered, and the pieces lay heavy in his chest, making it hard to even breathe. His voice, once filled with confidence and resolve, was now fragile, broken by the enormity of his loss.
"She's gone, William… She left me…" His words came out as a sob, barely audible through the tears that had choked him for so long.
