Xavier's gaze lingered on William Jackson, a storm of confusion brewing behind his eyes. The older man returned the look with an intensity that bordered on desperation and motioned silently, urging Xavier to follow him out into the crisp evening air. With a stiff nod, Xavier acquiesced, his footsteps echoing William's across the threshold.

The chill of the outside world wrapped around them, but it was the frost in William's confession that cut deeper. "Cathy is a fragile girl," he began, voice low, laced with a regret that seemed to ache in the growing dusk. "She puts on a chilly facade because she thinks I do not care about her."...