He watched as William stood before his grave, talking to the cold stone marker that had his name.
Even after William left for the office, Sam kneeled, breaking down at his own grave.
The memories William shared from his perspective echoed in Sam's mind, revealing his regrets.
Sam had always thought his life was meaningless yet he cherished it also.
He realized how lucky he had been to have his sister survive the accident that took his parents.
He had been fortunate not to be sent to an orphanage, sparing him and his sister the pain of separation.
He had even protected his parents' will, ensuring they didn't lose their house to distant relatives who had distanced themselves from them anyway.
But what William had revealed changed everything.
William's view of Sam was entirely different from how Sam saw himself.
William had been an orphan, someone who had struggled through unimaginable pain just to survive.
Before meeting Sam, William had also been thinking of choosing the easy way out entirely.
The relentless bullying, harassment, and beatings he endured simply because he is an orphan had pushed him into despair.
Depression consumed him to the point where life felt unbearable.
And then Sam appeared.
Sam's kindness was something William had long forgotten existed.
In Sam, he found a reason to keep going, even when the world tried to break him.
William had shared how, as a child, he had no choice but to run away from the orphanage.
The abuse from both caretakers and other kids had driven him out.
He endured freezing winters in unfinished buildings, scavenged through dumpsters for clothes, and fought to survive on scraps of food.
Sometimes, out of desperation he stole just to avoid starving, but even that rarely succeeded as he was often caught, too weak to run because he hadn't eaten in days.
Hearing William talk about his childhood was overwhelming to Sam.
The realization of how much his existence had meant to someone else.
William has just five to seven years old when he endured them all.
And it was Sam's simple acts of kindness, that had given William a reason to struggle.
At just nine years old, William broke into an elderly couple's house, desperate to escape the cold night.
He knew it was against the law, but why should he care? What had the law ever done for him? It hadn't saved him from abuse, hunger, or freezing nights.
Slipping in through the back door, William moved cautiously, his small frame trembling from the cold.
He made his way to the kitchen, eating anything he could find.
He ate as it was his last meal, unaware that his noise had woken up the house owners.
"Honey, I think we're getting robbed!" the old woman, likely in her 60's wake up his husband in a scared voice.
The old man, in his 70's, got up with a grunt, reaching for his flashlight and gun. "Don't worry, I'll handle it."
He moved carefully, checking the rooms first before going down the stairs. His flashlight lighting up every room, eventually landing on the small figure in the kitchen.
William froze mid bite, his mind in full panic as the light was directly on him.
"Turn around slowly. Hands up in the air! I have a gun so don't try anything!" the old man shouted at the boy.
Looking around to be sure there aren't any more people.
He deliberately reloaded the gun to make sure the intruder knew he wasn't bluffing.
Tears welled up in William's eyes, his hands trembling in the air. "I-I'm sorry" his voice cracking. "I was cold and hungry... I just wanted to sleep. Please don't shoot!"
The old man's gaze was sceptical but when he saw the child covered in dirt yet frail, with a face smeared in food and eyes almost at tears. His anger turned into pity.
He glanced back to the top of stairs, where his wife stood nervously clutching the phone.
"Honey, it's just a kid!" shouting. "No need to call the cops."
Turning back to William. "Alright, listen. I'm letting you off this time, but you need to come back tomorrow, apologize to my wife, and clean up the mess you made. Understood?"
William nodded quickly, relief flooding him as he darted out of the house.
Once the boy was gone, the old man checked all the locks and windows before finally returning to bed.
When his wife asked "what happened?" he simply replied, "I told him to clean the mess he made. Nothing to worry about."
The next morning, William sat hidden nearby, debating what to do.
Fear and guilt eating him in his stomach. He could run away and never return, but the guilt of breaking into the couple's home, was disrespecting the kindness they had shown him, and that weighed heavily on him.
The old man had been kind enough to let him go with just an apology. And William knew he owed him that much.
So he waited, even as his mind screamed at him to leave, to run away and never look back.
The guilt would claw at him, crushing his mind every moment. So he stayed.
By the time the clock neared noon, the weight of his shame became unbearable.
Taking a deep breath, William mustered every ounce of courage he had left. With trembling hands, he stepped up to the door and rang the bell.
An old woman's voice called out. "Yes, who is it?"
William froze for a moment, feeling like a fool for being here. But he stood his ground, pushing the nerves aside.
"H-Hello," he stuttered. "I'm really sorry for breaking in last night. I came here to apologize... and to clean up the mess I made."
For a moment, all he could hear was the sound of the door locks turning. He was certain she would shut him out, maybe yell at him or call the police.
But to his thoughts, the door slowly creaked open.