"You already have, Jon; do not doubt for a second that you already have," Eddard replies quietly, giving Jon's back another affectionate pat before releasing him. He holds his gaze for a few moments, wheels and cogs slowly turning behind the light of his own eyes. He exhales a sigh - heavy, long, crushed under the burden of a weight too great for one man to bear. "There is much for me to tell you," he adds. "Perhaps it is time for me to let the truth unravel at your feet. Your mother, do you still wish to know of her?"