LIAM
Thirty years. I'd been breathing for thirty years, but not once in my life did a woman's words hurt me the way Nora’s had. The memory of her face, mind made up as the steely words tumbled from her lips did something to me.
It caused a tightening around my chest that threatened to constrict my airflow. I steadied my breathing, half hunched over the bathroom counter as my reflection stared me back in the eye.
Nora didn't exactly know about my issues with my family, but she'd struck home with her words: Put in the effort so you don't end up losing everyone you care about.
It reminded me of the years with my father before he became a heavy-handed drunk. He'd been a kind man, eager to come back home to his wife and kids. Suddenly, the switch flipped and the man I knew to be my father b
