At that moment, Jerry looked down at his hands for a second. He rubbed his palms slowly together, like someone unsure if he had just said too much. Then he turned to Abigail and said softly, "I wasn't even supposed to tell you all of this. Honestly, I've gone too far already."
Abigail's face froze a little. Her lips parted slightly like she wanted to speak but held herself back. Jerry noticed it.
"But," he continued, "since you've made it clear you want to walk this road with me… since you're ready to stand by me… then I'll start telling you things. Not everything at once. It's too much. You won't be able to carry it all. But I'll tell you little by little. Piece by piece. Until there's nothing left to hide."
He looked at her, this time his eyes holding a little more weight—like he was trying to protect her from what was ahead, even if it meant carrying most of the burden himself.
