Chapter 107

• "Here, have some water." My mother hands me the bottle of water where I am crouched, hands on my knees, tears in my eyes from the relentless coughing. It is like everything within me is rebelling against that piece of information. Fighting against it. Rejecting it.
• I take the bottle and I chug the contents greedily. She returns to her chair and watches me quietly as I take in deep breaths to calm my racing heart. No matter how many times I take a deep breath, or how hard I do it, I am afraid I might never calm down. Maybe I misheard. Maybe my mother is messing with me. Maybe I am actually stuck in a nightmare right now and I need to wake up.
• "Sorry. I guess I startled you? My reaction was milder in comparison. I just came apart. Right there on our bedroom floor. The man I loved and have loved for years. He not only admitted to cheating. He also claimed he loved her.