Liam smiled sadly.
“So I became valedictorian.”
Silence.
“I thought maybe if I earned scholarships…”
He shrugged.
“So I worked harder than anyone else.”
Still silence.
“I thought maybe if I volunteered, helped other people, stayed positive, and never complained…”
His voice caught for the first time.
“…maybe Dad would finally see me.”
I covered my mouth.
Across the table, Nora quietly wiped away tears.
“But eventually,” Liam continued, “I realized the problem wasn’t me.”
He looked directly at Greg.
“It was the dream you refused to let go of.”
Greg finally spoke. “It’s not that I didn’t love you…”
“I know.” Liam nodded.
“But love isn’t something people are supposed to guess.”
The sentence seemed to knock the air out of Greg.
“You told Mom she ruined your life.”
Greg looked horrified.
“I…”
“You said you didn’t ask for this life.”
“I was angry.”
“For 18 years?”
No one could argue with that.
