“Kenny understood that. He had to. Because loving Aaron meant more than patience. It meant precision. A quiet discipline. He had to read beneath the surface, to listen with more than ears. To know when to offer steadiness and when to let Aaron reach. Lead without ever taking. To never blur the lines of consent, even when Aaron trembled with the ache of wanting to be led. So Aaron had to choose this. Freely. Consciously. Not because he needed Kenny to hold him together, but because he trusted him enough to let go.”