I once sat next to George R.R. Martin. It was at a memorial service for the brilliant writer Ed Bryant here in Denver. George arrived late, and the only open seat left was beside me. He ordered an iced tea. That’s it. That’s the story.

Did his literary genius rub off on me? I wouldn’t bet on it. But ever since, I’ve stopped worrying about whether he’ll finish Game of Thrones. Maybe it’s because I’ve already had my moment. Maybe it’s because, sitting beside him, I realized even they are just people with iced tea and all.

Well, for one thing, a few million trees might be spared. But that’s not why you’re here.

You’re here because of the characters—the ones we love, the ones we loathe, and the ones we still can’t quite figure out. It’s not just the plot we crave, it’s the meaning behind it. We want to know what it all meant. Who mattered. Why it happened. What, in the end, was worth remembering?

George took time out of his packed schedule to drive up from New Mexico to Denver—for one reason: Ed Bryant mattered to him. That says a lot.

And if there’s one thing George R.R. Martin does better than almost anyone, it’s making people matter—both in life and on the page. Tyrion, Jon, Jaime, Cersei, Arya, Bran, Sam, and Gilly—they’re not just names. They’re living, breathing contradictions. They break our hearts, earn our fury, and somehow still pull us back in.

George doesn’t just create characters. He honors them.

Yes, the story matters. And wouldn’t it be wonderful if George finishes The Game of Thrones, and he would tie up all of those wonderful loose ends. But what if he doesn’t? We still know that we cheered on Tyrion, Arya, and Jon. We are aghast at Cersei, while we hope Jamie will find redemption, and finally, we hope Sam and Gilly will stay together forever because George has shined a light on them all and us too.

Yes, the story matters. And sure, it would be wonderful if George R.R. Martin finishes Game of Thrones—if all those brilliant, tangled threads were finally tied off with his signature flair.

But what if he doesn’t?

We still remember who we rooted for. Tyrion, Arya, Jon—we stood behind them. We recoiled at Cersei’s ruthlessness, held out hope for Jaime’s redemption, and wished nothing but peace for Sam and Gilly.

Because George didn’t just shine a light on his characters—he held up a mirror to us. In loving, fearing, and following them, we became citizens of Westeros, too.