"Don't worry about it. Really." He smiled at her when she looked up, though it faded a bit as she continued. "I...never really thought past high school," he admitted. "That. It's gotta be hard, yeah? Losing all those expectations. I guess I was just always glad to be someplace safe." On the rare occasions he was completely honest with himself, he figured he had a much more useful life now than he ever could have in the world before.
"It's okay. To miss the things you thought you were going to have," he told her quietly. "And...it's worth a lot. Thanks."