Dinner with Dad was always exhausting, and it became a tradition for me to drink after each meal. As usual, I opened a bottle of wine and started chugging it down.
I wished they were here, I thought to myself. This train of thought startled me. Since when did I start finding solace in them that their absence felt so heavy today? They had only been with me once, but that brief moment provided such relief that now their absence was unbearable.
“f**k,” I cursed, cutting off my thoughts. Thinking about them made me miss them, and that was something I didn’t want. How had I not learned my lesson? I had previously liked someone, and it hadn’t ended well, so the chances of this new situation failing were high. If our families found out, we would be in deep trouble. After my breakup with Mason,
