Six Months Ago

Fiona watched Liam closely as he took a deep, measured breath, clearly trying to steady himself. The pain in his eyes was very much evident, a shadow that darkened his usually bright gaze.

He struggled to find the words, the memories evidently painful to him and Fiona could literally feel it from where she sat.

"You don't have to tell me just yet if you're not up to it," Fiona said softly, her voice heavy with concern. Her eyes mirrored her worry, but Liam shook his head resolutely.

He needed to tell her about it so that she would have a knowledge of what transpired while trying to help him.

"It's okay," he replied, his voice cracking slightly. "It's just that every time I think about it, I feel so stupid for never reading between the lines," he said and Fiona reached out, her hand resting gently on his arm as she gently squeezed it, offering silent support.