[He'd wanted more than just confirmation but he accepted it for now, wondering how to explain about the Darlings without hurting his father's feelings further. Then he wondered why he cared about said feelings. But he knew the answer to the second question already. Love.]

I made a new family. The Darlings. They took me in, gave me a place to sleep, clean clothes and good food. When the shadow came, I didn't want their family torn apart by magic like mine had been. I willingly went with it to save the other boys.