It was an enlightening moment for Roland. This is what was missing. This was the choice he hadn't made before. The choice of the boy over the Dark Tower. Was it the right choice? The wrong one? It was neither, and both. But for the first time in a long time, Roland felt as if he'd made a good decision. A decision that hadn't been selfishly biased on his lust for the Tower. It had been years since he'd felt that way.
Roland placed his crippled hand on the boy's back, as if to ensure to himself that he was here. It was like the moment they had been reunited after their previous separation. When Jake wrote his paper and Roland's mind split in two. The sickness of having lived two realities. Only this time it was more comforting for Roland's soul. He had done right by the boy in coming here.
Of course, he knew that part of him would continue to long for the mysteries of the Tower. But for now...