22
AARON
Bitter cold gave way to wet chill and eventually warmer breezes that thawed the ground. Buds sprang to life on tree limbs, the scent of damp soil and rebirth attempting to renew hope in my mind like it did life to the earth.
I called Zeke at least once a week, but he barely helped me keep my head above water.
My heart beat as steadily as Dad’s, stubborn in keeping me alive when I’d have been content resting six feet deep. I clung to the truth that Dad wouldn’t outlast me, but my patience stretched thin as f**k. Powerless to change my circumstances, I continued to battle darkness in my mind, a sense of helplessness I had no control over that ebbed and flowed depending on Dad’s mood and if I’d talked to Zeke that day.
Weak in my emotions but strong in body, I put one foot in fr
