Ahhhh, this is amazing! What a glorious observation! I love it!!! (And that explains, too, what the scene with his father is doing at that point in the book. Because it kind of makes no sense to have it slotted in there between the mountain and going home EXCEPT as a way to make ZYL feel even worse than he already did. But if it's there explicitly as a contrast to showcase SW's softness and supportiveness, that is just A++++. :D)