His dad made a rough sound deep in his throat, but Cam wasn’t sure if it was agreement or anger. He deserved the anger.

Winnie simply closed her eyes.

He didn’t dare look at Piper, couldn’t face what she must be thinking of him. But nor could he stop now, not until he got it all out. “After we yelled at each other, he tried to leave. He wanted to go home, and instead of making him stay, I drove him to the airport. We didn’t make it halfway before—” He broke off and clamped his jaw tight to try to not lose his shit completely.

“No,” Winnie said. “That’s not on you.” She turned him to face her. “You knew Rowan, he was stubborn as hell. He was pissy because he knew you were right. He wouldn’t want you to blame yourself for what happened.”

Squeezing her hand, he looked down at the canister. “We all miss you,” he said and closed his eyes.

At his side, Piper wrapped an arm around him. Winnie was still holding on to him from the other side. But it was his dad who stepped right in front of him, eyes wet, voice raw. “As a dad, as your dad, I want to demand something of you right here, right now. I know I have no right, but I’m going to do it anyway.”

Cam braced for his dad to agree that he was at fault.

But that wasn’t what happened. His dad reached up and cupped Cam’s face. “Winnie said it best. Rowan wouldn’t have blamed you, son. And neither do I. No one blames you for what happened that night. No one. We’re just grateful you’re alive, so fucking grateful. So even though there’s nothing to forgive, you’re forgiven anyway. Now all you have to do is forgive yourself. Something I know a little bit about after giving you up to your mom. Forgiving myself for that was a long time coming, and if I’m being honest, I haven’t really managed it fully.”

“Dad.” He shook his head. “It’s okay.”

His dad pressed their foreheads together. “It’s getting there.”

When Emmitt finally let him go and stepped back, Cam swiped his eyes with his forearm, opened the canister, and . . . let Rowan go.

When it was done, Winnie took the canister and clutched it to her chest as they all watched the ashes slowly vanish from view. “Now he’ll always be here with us,” she said softly.

Piper wrapped her arms around Cam, and just like when his dad had touched him, it warmed him. He dropped his head to her shoulder and did something he’d never done in his life.

Took comfort from another human being.