Sitting in Mercy’s living room, I felt the weight of everything I’d been carrying push down on me, harder than ever. It was such a quiet, cozy space, the kind of place that should make you feel lighter. But here I was, trying to breathe through this tightness in my chest, and failing.
“Dustin thinks… adopting Claire will fix everything.” The words sounded so hollow, even to me. “He’s convinced it’s his fault I’ve been so distant. He doesn’t understand, Mercy. He doesn’t know the real reason I’ve been pulling away.”
Mercy’s face softened, her eyes gentle and filled with worry. “Ari, why don’t you tell him? You can’t keep carrying this on your own. It’s not fair to either of you.”
I looked away, the words catching in my throat. I wanted to tell him. God, I wanted to just lay it all out, e
