@agmoore, this is such a lovely, poignant and painful story. We all carry burdens, guilt, misgivings, large and small... and what do we do with them at the end of the day?

You captured so much in this beautiful and sparingly written story. It's a truly splendid example of "show, don't tell," as he wrestles with his guilt, and we come to fully understand the root of that guilt without it being stated in so many words. That is an art.

There is something uplifting about this for me. I think it's his loyalty and devotion... perhaps too little and too late, but undeniable and unrelenting. And in some sense I think she cries because she finally receives the apology she deserved for so long. And maybe some part of her psyche knows that she is is one true love.