Liam sat on the edge of his unmade bed, staring at the floor as his son’s innocent words echoed in his mind: “Dad, I miss you. Tomorrow you invite me to play, but why do you sleep all the time?” A lump formed in his throat as he replayed the boy’s trembling voice and tear-streaked cheeks. His heart ached, burdened with the guilt of broken promises and the weight of his own inner battles.
The previous night replayed vividly in Liam’s mind—Kate Cassidy’s cutting words and actions. Her frustration, laced with anger, erupted like a storm. She had hit him in a moment of rage, a confrontation he wished his son had never overheard. The chaos left him reeling, sinking into a spiral of hopelessness that rendered him emotionally paralyzed. His sleep, though deep, had been nothing but an escape, a way to avoid the questions he wasn’t ready to answer.
His son’s cries, however, pierced through the fog. This wasn’t the first time he’d seen the boy’s face turn from hopeful to heartbroken, but tonight was different. There was an unspoken plea in his son’s words—Why aren’t you here for me?
Liam knew the truth was complicated, yet simple. He was tired—tired of fighting battles he didn’t fully understand. His emotional exhaustion seeped into every part of his life, but its impact on his son stung the most. Each skipped soccer game, every missed bedtime story, each unfulfilled promise accumulated into a mountain of guilt that threatened to crush him.
And yet, his son’s love persisted. Those tearful eyes weren’t full of resentment, but longing—a desire for Liam to show up, to be present. He didn’t need perfection; he needed a dad who tried.
Liam wiped his face and forced himself to meet his son’s gaze. “I’m sorry,” he whispered, pulling the boy into a hug. “I haven’t been the dad you deserve, but I promise I’ll do better.” His son buried his face in his chest, clinging tightly as if the act could keep Liam anchored to the moment.
The first step toward redemption would be small but meaningful—taking his son to the park as promised. He couldn’t erase the past, but he could start creating better memories, one day at a time.
As for Kate, Liam knew they needed to address the tension between them. Whether through conversation or counseling, something had to change—not just for them but for the sake of the child caught in the crossfire. He’d carry the weight of their relationship’s struggles, but he wouldn’t let it define his parenting anymore.
Liam looked out the window, where the morning sun was beginning to rise. It wasn’t just another day; it was a chance to begin again.
