He didn’t realize that he had been holding his breath until she hugged him, then he let out a long sigh. She didn’t hate him or dislike him for what she had seen. This whole experience had made him feel so incredibly vulnerable, like he had no defenses at all, and the emotions he had kept pushing aside for ten years were now dangerously close to the surface.
Then she spoke again. His eyes widened at her words. She was proud of him. Despite seeing the worst he had to offer, she was proud of who he was. That was all it took for him to break. The bottled up emotions rushing over him, and with no defenses to hold them back. He chocked back a sob, his body trembling, and his legs refused to keep him standing, so he knelt on the ground and dragged Angela with him, pulling her on top of his lap. His arms were tightly wrapped around her and his face hidden against her shoulder. He was perfectly quiet, except for the uneven breathing, close to hyperventilating.