When Tough Love Kills

ack into the house. Every movement was excruciating. My legs were numb and

atching cartoons. He looked up at

he asked, his small voi

elt more like a grimace. "

y body refusing to cooperat

over and poked my shoulde

rds slurring. "There's... there

e filled a pot with water and managed to turn on the burner. I knew

Ryan," I ma

x of pasta on a high shelf. That's when it hap

pot. The boiling water cascaded down

d through the house. It was

eless legs across the floor. It felt like moving through wet cement. Ryan

could barely function. "It's okay, Ryan, it

rs fumbling with the screen. I managed to

nts wer

d water, at me on the floor beside him. He

" she screamed, h

she grabbed my hair and slammed my head

spittle hitting my face. "You hu

t the edges. The last thing I heard before I blacked out was m