Royle settled down next to Misa with a sigh, resting his elbows on his knees and burying his face into his hands.
“Are you okay?” Misa’s hand hovered over his back, hesitant, before she touched him.
Royle dragged his palms down his face. “She was like a mother to me. I’ve been preparing for her death for years, but I didn’t think the day would ever come. I’ve said my goodbyes countless times in the past, but it’s…”
“Difficult?” Misa offered. She rubbed his back, hoping to comfort him in the same way he had comforted her.
“Yes.” Royle clasped his fingers together and rested his chin atop them, gazing at the wall but seeing something that wasn’t in the room. “It’s not so bad because I knew she was going to die. At least, I’ve accepted it long before it happened. There
