Page 67 of The Family Man

I gulp the whiskey “She doesn’t understand.” I grab the bottle I need more than a glass.

I slide down my living room wall with the bottle in my lap.

“Focus and fix everything around me.” The problem is I don’t know where to start. I thought leaving Sage would help. But this shit hurts.

Just when I thought I finally had it all, everything starts spiraling out of control.

That is my last thought I had then I passed out.

* * *

Something is pushing my head.

“Get the hell up. Zac!”

I open my mouth, and nothing comes out. I have cotton mouth.

I roll over and groan out/ “Let me sleep,”

“Nah. get the hell up,” the voice says angrily. Then I feel it, the icy splash of cold water on my body.

“WHAT THE HELL?” I sputter, wiping away the water, trying to get oxygen back into my lungs.

“You have moped around for too long. You have a family and staff that are depending on you.”

I see my brother’s hand extended toward me to get up. I grab it.

Last night came back to me in a rush “I fucked up D.”

“What did you do now?” He grabs my arm and throws it over his shoulder as he assists me to the kitchen stool.

“I dumped Sage.” My heart hurts at the thought of her not being in my life anymore.

“Why the hell would you do that? Are you permanently stuck on stupid?” Daire asks as he takes ingredients out of my fridge.

“I needed to set my priorities straight.” Hearing myself say it out loud makes me realize how stupid I have been. I groan and press the heel of my hand to my eyes.

“See the self-sabotage! You understand that you have fallen in love with her right?!” Daire screeches.

Did I understand? I think about all the time we spent together, the children love her, the way she ran to be by my side during the fire.

Shit I love her, and I think she loves me too.

“Shit,” I whisper as I drag my hand down my beard.

“Seems about right. Sober up. We have a meeting with your insurance company today.”

* * *

SAGE

My sisters and I sit for our Saturday brunch, our mood is somber. You know we all messed up when we sat around my dinner table having two buckets of fried chicken and wine.

Thankfully Anise gave them the update over the phone, I couldn’t bear to repeat the story.

We all sit looking down at our uneaten chicken, our thoughts far. Out of the blue, my Cassia disrupts my thoughts.

“I took a shit on my ex-boyfriends’ carpet once?” Cassia said calmly as if she was talking about the weather.

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