Chapter 97 Seren

• It broke my heart hearing Lachlan be so open and honest about things to me. In all the years he and I have known one another never do I recall him talking so freely with me. I felt honoured he trusted me to share some of the things he had, because I doubted many others knew of the things he spoke of. And, while the things he said may have hurt, in my mind there was nothing to forgive.
• I never knew he had struggled that way. I certainly never knew he had felt so alone. Growing up side by side, being so close, yet I was clueless of his struggles. Guilt flooded my body that he had endured this alone. I knew how much he loved his Mum, and how close they were, so hearing him say he had to witness her fall apart in secret was soul destroying. He was a young boy. But this was through no fault of my Aunt's either. Circumstance had brought them to this. Lachlan would have been struggling with the loss of his Dad and needed support, and likely feared he could not seek the care and support of his Mum for fear that would only further damage her. I had a feeling because of the mask he wore around her that my Aunt was clueless of his struggles. It would break her heart to learn how badly Lachlan had battled. Which is why he never spoke up. He was doing it all for his Mum.
• He had tried to be brave and in the process hurt himself. My heart ached for him. While battling with his own emotions he was battling with the belief that one of his closest childhood friends was the reason he had lost his father. As rediculous as that may sound, and as much as it hurt to believe that Lachlan had held that thought within his mind for so long, I fully understood why he believed I was to blame. I had seen Uncle Austin as he went up to the field in which he died, and in the later years there were many a time I wished I had delayed him. Gone over it in my mind. Thinking of ways I could have changed the events of what later occurred. But, I think he was determind to go and help. Determined to send me home safely. That was who he was. I was just glad Lachlan now knew the truth.