Without saying anything or asking unnecessary questions, West simply opened one arm.
Liz immediately leaned into him and the dam finally broke.
She buried her face against his chest and cried harder than she had in months.
West gently rubbed her back in slow circles. "It's alright."
"I'm here now. You don't have to deal with everything by yourself."
Those simple words somehow hurt the most because she had been carrying everything by herself for seven months...
Bills, work, hospital visits, debt, cooking, cleaning and taking care of the man she loved.
This whole time she had been pretending she was okay...
Eventually, she spoke between broken breaths. "I try..."
"I try..."
"I try so hard..."
"But no matter what I do..."
"...it's never enough."
She clenched the fabric of his shirt. "I'm just..."
"...powerless."
"...and pathetic."
West's hand continued moving reassuringly across her back. "No."
"You've been carrying more than most people could."
"That isn't weakness."
