Once he had started, he couldn't stop. His body was wracked with sobs. Pain he had been carrying for so long refused to stay bottled up any longer. He tried his best to cling to Stephanie of just his fingers wrapped tightly in the back of her shirt.

Slowly, eventually, it tapered off. His breathing still hitched but it wasn't with sobs. He needed to wipe his nose on something.

He restrained himself from using Stephanie's shirt.