It was the most he'd ever spoken on the subject since his parents' death some five years previous- they had been the only other ones to know the story, and with them gone Thomas hadn't seen any reason to pass the information around further. He offered a faint, rather wry smile at Rena's condolences. "To say the least."
Rena had continued, and Thomas finally looked back to her, shaking his head at the question. "No. I was only eighteen- there was no one before, and there's been no one since. I suppose it's foolish- or selfish- of me, but I always thought that you were allowed one great love in a lifetime. I had mine, even if only for a short time. I couldn't sully that memory."