[Ephemera takes a deep breath and holds it for a minute, letting the nicotine do it's thing. Focusing on that and not the thought of Washington and his smug fucking tone at the temple. He has to let it go. There's no living here if he can't let it go. And then he exhales. Watches the smoke curl.]

Yeah. All right.

[Because this is after. What he'd been planning for years can't play out here.]

Don't think I can forgive him. Any of those fuckers. My family--

[He sucks in a sharp breath. It hurts, even now. Years later, it hurts like it just happened.]

They were all I had. Only family I ever had. Think I went crazy for a while, after. But here -- I got people here. And if I fuck up, it falls back on them. I don't want that.