[Strangely enough, that's a concept that's never crossed his mind. He lets out a breathy sigh, looks up into the slowly lightening sky.]
...I was eleven. Ovarian cancer, the doctors called it, even though I was too young to know what that meant at the time. It was... quick. She never even told us that she had it until...
[He stops, presses his lips tightly together.]
It's not nearly as bad as what you went through, obviously. And I'm not telling you this to get sympathy or to have a pissing contest with angsty backstories or whatever. I... honestly I've only told this story to a few people. I'm telling you this because... I wasn't mature. I couldn't deal with it. I just... shut down, I guess. Maybe if I had a friend like Abel back then, I would've...
[He shakes his head. There's no point in dwelling on could-have-beens. Wade turns to face her.]
You're an amazing woman, Caterina. You might not think you are, but I know a lot of people who've gone through half the things you've gone through and don't even have a quarter of the strength that you have. For what it's worth... I think Abel would've been very proud of you.
[He hesitantly reaches up as if to brush away the lingering tears on her face, but in the end simply lets his hand fall back to her shoulders. His eyes are serious.]
And... look. I know it probably doesn't mean much coming from someone like me, but... if you let me, I'll try my best to be at least half the friend that Abel was for you. That's a promise.
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...I was eleven. Ovarian cancer, the doctors called it, even though I was too young to know what that meant at the time. It was... quick. She never even told us that she had it until...
[He stops, presses his lips tightly together.]
It's not nearly as bad as what you went through, obviously. And I'm not telling you this to get sympathy or to have a pissing contest with angsty backstories or whatever. I... honestly I've only told this story to a few people. I'm telling you this because... I wasn't mature. I couldn't deal with it. I just... shut down, I guess. Maybe if I had a friend like Abel back then, I would've...
[He shakes his head. There's no point in dwelling on could-have-beens. Wade turns to face her.]
You're an amazing woman, Caterina. You might not think you are, but I know a lot of people who've gone through half the things you've gone through and don't even have a quarter of the strength that you have. For what it's worth... I think Abel would've been very proud of you.
[He hesitantly reaches up as if to brush away the lingering tears on her face, but in the end simply lets his hand fall back to her shoulders. His eyes are serious.]
And... look. I know it probably doesn't mean much coming from someone like me, but... if you let me, I'll try my best to be at least half the friend that Abel was for you. That's a promise.