"Sometimes I think that the end of the world was the best thing that ever happened to me." Eugene shrugged, "I mean, it isn't as though I was doing a lot with my life before, you know?"
Tara squinted at him, "A lot of bad things have happened since then. Not just to everyone else, but to you too. You've almost died how many times?"
"A few." He sighed, "I know that a lot of bad has happened and to a lot of good people. There have been deaths, horrific deaths that I wouldn't wish upon even the worst villain, and suffering that has been endured by us all. However, I think my point still stands. My life has improved in many ways."
"Like what?" Tara scratched her neck, watching his face as he thought for a moment.
"Like meeting all of you, and finally feeling like I had friends. Real friends, not just the people I gamed with online and never met in-person. Getting out of my house, out of my town even, and seeing something of this world. Growing and learning to admit to my mistakes. I've done badly, but I'm better at admitting to it now." He shrugged again. "I have never been perfect, so I know there is room for improvement, but wouldn't you agree that I've done better now than I did when you first met me?"
Tara nodded slowly, "I guess I would. Haven't thought that much about it, but yeah. We've all changed, not always for the best, but you are doing better. Braver than you were before, certainly, and I trust you."
"Thank you. I hope that I won't let you down in the future." Eugene hadn't lost his serious expression. "I'm not like the rest of you. I didn't have a close family to lose, or a bunch of friends to surround me and miss when they were gone. I had my job, my hobbies, and my alone time. It doesn't seem like much, though I do miss my collections sometimes. That's why I think I have it better now. I wish more people could say the same, instead of losing so much that had more meaning."
"You have more to lose now, don't you?" Tara watches as he glanced around their small group. They were a few feet apart, and talking quietly, so most probably couldn't hear what was being said, but she had the feeling that Eugene didn't care if they did hear. It was an easy way to tell them that they meant something to him without having to be direct about it.
"I do. It would be worse to lose people now, because now I know what it feels like to have people to care about. A couple of years ago I would have been happy to be alone all the time, but now I can't think of anything worse."