* Liam's POV *
“Tell me about your Dad,” Elena asked softly after we sat down to eat lunch together at a restaurant near the hospital.
I paused with the fork halfway to my mouth. The question hit me harder than I expected.
“Whenever Dad had those same episodes before,” I started, my voice low, “it was just me and me alone. I would struggle through it all by myself. Calling the doctors, watching the monitors, sitting there praying he’d pull through. No one else was there. It was just me.”
Elena’s eyes softened. She reached across the table and touched my hand lightly. “It’s okay if you don’t want to talk about it.”
“No, no,” I said quickly, shaking my head. “I want to talk about it. Really.”
I took a deep breath and continued. “Dad may not be the perfect father. He’s harsh most of the
