Better Ties: A Military Sweet Slow Burn Romance. The Soldier, The Single Mom, and The Son. by R.A. Mariana

Author:R.A. Mariana [Mariana, R.A.]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Independent
Published: 2024-03-04T00:00:00+00:00

13

The Long Road

The sterile light of the clinic was a stark contrast to the warm, inviting glow of Martha’s bakery. Now, sitting in the antiseptic quiet of the waiting room, he couldn’t help but feel a world away from other people. From the laughter and comfort of those afternoons with Martha and Ethan. Liam took a deep breath. His decision to leave without a word weighed heavily on his heart—a decision made in the shadow of a haunting past he couldn’t seem to escape.

Liam’s hands, once steady and sure whether holding a weapon or a pastry, now trembled slightly. The memories of that fateful day—the weight of Sammy’s life slipping away in his arms—replayed in his mind with a clarity that was both vivid and visceral. The guilt and the helplessness had become constant companions. They were shadows that followed him even into the light of Martha’s life and Ethan’s innocent adoration.

When his name was called, Liam stood, his movements automatic, and followed the nurse into the depths of the clinic. The therapist’s office was a small room, the walls lined with diplomas and certificates. It was a silent testament to the expertise that Liam hoped could lead him back to himself.

Liam took a deep breath, the air in the room feeling too thick and charged with the anticipation of revelations he wasn’t sure he was ready to share. But the thought of Martha’s disappointed face and of Ethan’s confused pain at his disappearance steeled his resolve.

“Please, take a seat,” the therapist said. Her voice was a gentle invitation to open the floodgates of his bottled-up emotions.

“Thank you.”

Liam sat across from his therapist, the room quiet except for the faint sound of traffic outside. Between them, a box of sand and an array of miniature figurines lay waiting. The therapist, a gentle presence in the softly lit room, nodded toward the box.

“What are we doing today?” Liam asked.

“For today’s session, just talk to me. Start with what you’re feeling right now.”

“My feelings?”

“Yes.”

Liam exhaled, taking a deep breath that seemed to carry the weight of a thousand untold stories. “I feel… stuck,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper. “Like I’m in this deep pit, and every time I try to climb out, the edges crumble away under my fingers.”

The therapist nodded, her expression one of understanding. “That sounds incredibly frustrating and exhausting. Can you tell me more about what’s holding you back?”

Liam’s hands clenched into fists, the physical manifestation of the turmoil swirling inside him. “It’s everything and nothing,” he said, his frustration evident. “I try to face these memories, to make sense of them, but it’s like trying to hold onto smoke. And the more I try, the more it feels like I’m losing ground.”

“Is there a particular memory that feels most overwhelming?” the therapist probed, her voice a steady anchor in the tumult of Liam’s emotions.

Liam’s eyes darkened, a storm brewing behind them as he was transported back to the battlefield, to the moment that haunted his every step.

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