Ford closed his eyes for a moment, fatigued physically and emotionally.
"I have a question," Grandpa mused.
"Go right ahead," Ford shrugged. "I don't think I have anything else to hide."
"Why not just tell us? Before?" The old man cut a glance at the younger. "Why keep hiding it?"
"A lot of reasons," Ford sighed. Grandpa was the easiest of the group for him to talk to, and not just because of the lessons the man had taught him during the journey. "Cowardice, for one. I thought Seth might kill me. Also, Mia's reputation, I suppose. It was perfectly innocent, but as Seth demonstrated, not everyone would see it that way, and I didn't want to make her seem…"
"We all know she's not," Grandpa interjected, and Ford nodded.
"I told her what I was doing, and she didn't really tell me to stop, and didn't tell anyone else," Ford chewed the inside of his mouth. "I guess I was also afraid that if I told anyone else, it would have to stop."
