A Life Rewritten

Jake - Support

Jake lay in bed as Josie fell back to sleep, her breathing finally steadying. He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face, his heart aching with a mixture of love and helplessness. Her nightmares were getting worse, and he had no idea how to help them stop.

He slipped out of the bed, gently and quietly, so as not to wake his wife, and made his way to the kitchen. The clock on the oven door read 3:15 AM. He leaned against the counter, staring at the familiar surroundings that felt cold and lonely in the dim and silent night.

Josie had come so far since they met, and Jake was proud of her every single day. However, he knew that the memories she lived with, the pain she was feeling, were too much for any one person to bear. The pain was like a chain on her very soul, trapping her in a world where she couldn't see herself as anything but a monster. Jake poured himself a cup of water, trying to wash away the lump that grew in his throat. How could he help her fight a battle that he couldn't see?

As he sipped the water, his mind turned to the boy in Josie's nightmares. He knew that boy, of course—knew him better than anyone in the world, except Josie. But Jake didn't know how to help her fight him when the ghost of that boy had left such a mark on her. All Jake knew he could do was stand by Josie and promise her that he'd never abandon her.

Jake shivered as he recalled the boy's final actions as he'd left the world. Josie had been the only one who had actually been there, but she'd told him everything. That boy had scarred her beyond anything Jake could ever imagine, and what was worse was that he'd been with Josie her entire life. If any person could hurt you the most, it was the person that you used to be.

Josie. Jake's heart melted as he thought of the pain she was going through right now. Rage burned in his chest, and a tear rolled down his cheek as his uselessness shone in the light of his reflections. He just wanted to help her love herself again.