He did not wake up.

Men like Damon rarely do, until it is already over.

Chapter 5 — The Call to My Father

On Christmas morning, our living room filled with Damon’s family, tearing the paper off the gifts he couldn’t afford, while his mother laughed about my “little career break.”

Damon kissed her cheek and turned to me with a smile designed to be seen.

“You’ll bounce back,” he said, loud enough for the room.