ᴵᵗ ʷᵃˢ ᶜᵒˡᵈ ⁻ ᵇᵘᵗ ᴶᵃᵏᵉ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ᵘⁿᵖʳᵉᵖᵃʳᵉᵈ, ᵃⁿᵈ ᶦᵗ ʷᵃˢⁿ’ᵗ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ʰᶦˢ ᵖᵃʳᵉⁿᵗˢ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵇᵉ ᵉᶠᶠᵉᶜᵗᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵍᵒᵗ ʰᶦᵐ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵃᵗ, ʰᵃᵗ, ᵃⁿᵈ ˢᶜᵃʳᶠ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵃᵈᵒʳⁿᵉᵈ ʰᶦˢ ᶠᶦᵍᵘʳᵉ ⁻ ᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵐᶦᵗᵗᵉⁿˢ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵐᵃᵗᵗᵉʳ, ᶦᶠ ʰᵉ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏ ᵃᵇᵒᵘᵗ ᶦᵗ. ᵀʰᵉʸ ᵈᶦᵈ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵈᶦᵈ ᶠᵒʳ ʰᶦᵐ ᵇᵉᶜᵃᵘˢᵉ ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ᵏᶦᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶦᵗ ʷᵃˢ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵗʰᵉʸ ʷᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ ʰᶦᵐ ᵗᵒ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ⁻ ᵗᵒ ʷᵃˡᵏ ᵃʳᵒᵘⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ⁿᵉʷ ᵗᵒʷⁿ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ ʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ᵃⁿᵈ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ʰᵒᵐᵉ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵃˢ ʰᵃᵖᵖʸ.
ᴮᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʰᵉ ˡᵒⁿᵍᵉᵈ ᶠᵒʳ ʷᵃˢ ᵗᵒ ʰᵉᵃʳ ʰᶦˢ ⁿᵃᵐᵉ, ᵗᵒ ᶠᵉᵉˡ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇʳᵘˢʰ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ᶠᶦⁿᵍᵉʳˢ ⁻ ˢᵒᵐᵉᵗʰᶦⁿᵍ ᶦᵐᵖᵒˢˢᶦᵇˡᵉ ᵗʰʳᵒᵘᵍʰ ᵗʰᵉ ʰᵃᵗ, ᶜᵒᵃᵗ, ᵃⁿᵈ ᵍˡᵒᵛᵉˢ. ᴴᵉ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ⁿᵉᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵉᵐ ᵃˢ ᵇᵃᵈˡʸ ᵃˢ ʰᵉ ᶜʳᵃᵛᵉᵈ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍˢ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵐᵘˢᵗⁿ’ᵗ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵒᶜᶜᵘʳʳᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ᵗʷᵒ, ᵒʳ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ᵖʳᵉˢˢᶦⁿᵍ ᵉⁿᵒᵘᵍʰ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉᵐ ᵗᵒ ᵍᵒ ᵗʰʳᵒᵘᵍʰ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᶦᵗ. ᵀʰᵉʸ ʰᵃᵈ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᵇᵘˢᶦⁿᵉˢˢ ᵗᵒ ᶜᵒⁿᶜᵉʳⁿ ᵗʰᵉᵐˢᵉˡᵛᵉˢ ʷᶦᵗʰ, ˢᵒ ʰᶦˢ ˢᵗᵃᵗᵘˢ ʷᵃˢ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᵃ ᶜᵒⁿᶜᵉʳⁿ ʷʰᵉⁿ ᶦᵗ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ᵗʰᵉᵐ ˡᵒᵒᵏ ᵇᵃᵈ, ʳᵉᵍᵃʳᵈˡᵉˢˢ ᵒᶠ ʰᵒʷ ᵐᵃⁿʸ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ᵗᶦᵐᵉˢ ᵗʰᵉʸ ᵐᶦᵍʰᵗ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵒᵛᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ʰᶦˢ ʲᵒᵇ ⁻ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ⁿᵘᵐᵇᵉʳ ᵒᶠ ᶠʳᶦᵉⁿᵈˢ ʰᵉ ᵐᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵐᵃᵏᵉ, ᵃˢ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᵐᵃᵗᵗᵉʳ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉᵐ. ᴬⁿᵈ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ˢᵉᵉⁿ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵏᶦᵈˢ ᵃᵗ ʰᶦˢ ᵒˡᵈ ˢᶜʰᵒᵒˡ
( ʷʰᵒ ʷᵉʳᵉ ᵒʰ ˢᵒ ʰᵃᵖᵖʸ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ᵒʷⁿ ᶠʳᶦᵉⁿᵈˢ ) ᵗʰᵉ ᵃᵖᵖᵉᵃˡ ʷᵃˢ ʲᵘˢᵗ ᵉⁿᵒᵘᵍʰ ᵗᵒ ᵐᵃᵏᵉ ʰᶦᵐ ⁿᵒᵗ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏ ᵒⁿ ᶦᵗ ᵉᶦᵗʰᵉʳ.
ᴵᵗ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᶜʰᵃⁿᵍᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ᶜᵒᵐᵉ ʰᵒᵐᵉ ʰᵃˡᶠ⁻ᶠʳᵒᶻᵉⁿ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵗʰᵉᶦʳ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᶜᵒⁿᶜᵉʳⁿ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵇᵉ ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ᵗʰᵒˢᵉ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍˢ ʰᵃᵈ ᵍᵒⁿᵉ ⁻ ʷʰᵃᵗ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵃⁿʸᵒⁿᵉ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏ ᵒᶠ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵒʸ ᶦᶠ ᵗʰᵉʸ ˢᵃʷ ʰᶦᵐ ˡᶦᵏᵉ ᵗʰᵃᵗ? ᴮᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉⁿ ᴶᵃᵏᵉ ˢᵃʷ ᵃⁿᵒᵗʰᵉʳ ᵇᵒʸ ʰᶦˢ ᵃᵍᵉ ᵈᵘʳᶦⁿᵍ ʰᶦˢ ʷᵃˡᵏ ⁻ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ⁿᵒ ᵈᵉˢᵗᶦⁿᵃᵗᶦᵒⁿ ᶦⁿ ᵐᶦⁿᵈ ᵇᵘᵗ ᵃ ᶜᵒⁿᶜˡᵘˢᶦᵒⁿ ʷʰᵉⁿ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ˢᵉᵗ ᵒᶠᶠ, ᵇᵘᵗ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ˢᵉᵉᶦⁿᵍ ʰᶦˢ ᶠᶦᵍᵘʳᵉ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵒʸ ᶠʳᵒᵐ ᴺᵉʷ ʸᵒʳᵏ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵏ. ᴹᵃʸᵇᵉ ⁿᵒᵗ ʰᵃᵛᶦⁿᵍ ᶠʳᶦᵉⁿᵈˢ ᵒʳ ᵇᵉᶦⁿᵍ ⁿᵉʷ ʷᵉʳᵉⁿ’ᵗ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵐᵃᵈᵉ ʸᵒᵘ ᵃˡᵒⁿᵉ. ᴼʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒⁿˡʸ ᵗʰᶦⁿᵍˢ, ᶦⁿ ᵗʰᵉ ᵛᵉʳʸ ˡᵉᵃˢᵗ. ˢᵉᵉᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉ ᵇᵒʸ ᵃˢ ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ, ᴶᵃᵏᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈⁿ’ᵗ ʰᵉˡᵖ ᵇᵘᵗ ᶜᵃˡˡ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵗᵒ ʰᶦᵐ. ᵁˢᵘᵃˡˡʸ ʳᵃᵗʰᵉʳ ᵈᶦˢᵗᵃⁿᵗ, ʰᵉ ᵈᶦᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᶠᵉᵉˡ ʳᶦᵍʰᵗ ˡᵉᵃᵛᶦⁿᵍ ʰᶦᵐ ᵃˢ ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ…
ᴶᵃᵏᵉ, ᶠᵒʳ ʷʰᵃᵗᵉᵛᵉʳ ʳᵉᵃˢᵒⁿ, ʷᵃˢ ˢᵘʳᵖʳᶦˢᵉᵈ ᵃᵗ ʰᶦˢ ʳᵉᵖˡʸ ⁻ ᴳʳᵃⁿᵗᵉᵈ, ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᵏⁿᵒʷⁿ ʷʰᵃᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵉˣᵖᵉᶜᵗ ( ᵇʸ ᵃˡˡ ᵐᵉᵃⁿˢ ʰᵉ ˢʰᵒᵘˡᵈ’ᵛᵉ ᵃⁿᵗᶦᶜᶦᵖᵃᵗᵉᵈ ᶦᵗ, ʷᶦᵗʰ ʷʰᵉʳᵉ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ᵒⁿᶜᵉ ˡᶦᵛᵉᵈ ) ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗʰᵉ ˢᵘᵈᵈᵉⁿ ᵈᵉᶠᵉⁿˢᶦᵛᵉⁿᵉˢˢ ᶜᵃᵘᵍʰᵗ ʰᶦᵐ ᵒᶠᶠ ᵍᵘᵃʳᵈ. ᴵᵗ ᵗᵒᵒᵏ ʰᶦᵐ ᵃ ᵐᵒᵐᵉⁿᵗ ᵗᵒ ᶠᵒʳᵐᵘˡᵃᵗᵉ ʰᶦˢ ʳᵉᵖˡʸ, ᵇᵘᵗ ʷʰᵉⁿ ʰᵉ ᵈᶦᵈ ˢᵖᵉᵃᵏ ᵇᵃᶜᵏ ʰᵉ ᵈᶦᵈ ˢᵒ ᶜᵃʳᵉᶠᵘˡˡʸ ⁻ ᴶᵃᵏᵉ ᵗᵒᵒᵏ ʰᶦˢ ʰᵃᵗ ᵒᶠᶠ ᶦⁿ ᵈᵒᶦⁿᵍ ˢᵒ, ᵉˣᵖᵒˢᶦⁿᵍ ʰᶦˢ ᵇˡᵒⁿᵈ ˡᵒᶜᵏˢ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠʳᵒᶻᵉⁿ ᶜʳʸˢᵗᵃˡˢ ᵃˢ ᵗʰᵉʸ ⁿᵉˢᵗˡᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵉᵐˢᵉˡᵛᵉˢ ᶦⁿ ʰᶦˢ ʰᵃᶦʳ.
❝ i’m someone who doesn’t know you. we have’t spoken before now, but… i don’t know what happened, and i’m not going to say you have to tell me. ❞ ᴶᵃᵏᵉ ᵖᵃᵘˢᵉᵈ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ᶜᵒⁿᵗᶦⁿᵘᶦⁿᵍ. ❝ but if there is anything i can do, i’m here. i won’t ask for a favor in return, or pull you in trouble later… just let me know what i can do, and i’ll help how i can. ❞
❝ it might sound corny, but right now you don’t have to be alone. even if i help now and never see you again, i just… ❞
ᴱʸᵉˢ ˢᵘᵈᵈᵉⁿˡʸ ᶜᵃˢᵗ ᵈᵒʷⁿʷᵃʳᵈ, ʳᵉᵃˡᶦᶻᶦⁿᵍ ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ˢᵗᶦˡˡ ᵗᵃˡᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈⁿ’ᵗ ᵉᵛᵉⁿ ʳᵉᵃˡˡʸ ᵃⁿˢʷᵉʳᵉᵈ ᵗʰᵉ ᵏᶦᵈ’ˢ ᑫᵘᵉˢᵗᶦᵒⁿ. ᴵᶠ ʰᵉ ᵈᶦᵈ, ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ʰᵉ ʳᵉᵐᵉᵐᵇᵉʳ? ˢˡᵒʷˡʸ ʰᵉ ᵃᵖᵖʳᵒᵃᶜʰᵉᵈ, ˢᵗʳᶦᵖᵖᶦⁿᵍ ᵒᶠ ᵉᵛᵉʳʸ ᵃʳᵗᶦᶜˡᵉ ᵒᶠ ʷᵃʳᵐᵗʰ ʰᵉ ʰᵃᵈ ᵇᵉᵉⁿ ᵍᶦᵛᵉⁿ, ˢᵃᵛᵉ ᶠᵒʳ ᵗʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵃᵗ ⁻ ᵇᵉᶠᵒʳᵉ ʰᵒˡᵈᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰᵉᵐ ᵒᵘᵗ ᵗᵒ ᵗʰᵉ ᵒᵗʰᵉʳ. ᴰᵉˢᵖᶦᵗᵉ ᵗʰᵉ ᶠᵃᶜᵗ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ʰᵉ ʷᵃˢ ʲᵘˢᵗ ʷᵃˡᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᵗʰʳᵒᵘᵍʰ ᵗʰᵉ ʷᵒᵒᵈˢ ʷᶦᵗʰ ᵗʰᵉᵐ, ᵗʰᵉʸ ˢᵉᵉᵐᵉᵈ ᵗᵒ ᵇᵉ ᵖʳᵉᵗᵗʸ ʰᶦᵍʰ ᑫᵘᵃˡᶦᵗʸ ⁻ ᴶᵃᵏᵉ ᵖᵃᶦᵈ ᵗʰᵃᵗ ⁿᵒ ᵐᶦⁿᵈ, ᵃˢ ʰᵉ ᶜᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵍᵒ ʰᵒᵐᵉ ᵃⁿᵈ ᵃˢᵏ ᶠᵒʳ ᵃ ⁿᵉʷ ˢᵉᵗ. ᴴᵉ ᵐᶦᵍʰᵗ ᵍᵉᵗ ˢᵒᵐᵉ ᵍʳᶦᵉᶠ ( ⁿᵒᵗ ˡᵒᵒᵏᶦⁿᵍ ᶠᵒʳʷᵃʳᵈ ᵗᵒ ᶦᵗ ) ᵇᵘᵗ ᵗʰᶦˢ ᵏᶦᵈ ᵖʳᵒᵇᵃᵇˡʸ ʷᵒᵘˡᵈ ᵃᵖᵖʳᵉᶜᶦᵃᵗᵉ ᶦᵗ ᵐᵒʳᵉ ᵗʰᵃⁿ ʰᶦᵐ. ᵀʰᵃᵗ ˢᵃᶦᵈ, ᶜᵒˡᵈ ʰᵃⁿᵈˢ ˢᵘᶜᵏᵉᵈ, ᵃⁿᵈ ʰᵉ ᵃˡʳᵉᵃᵈʸ ʷᵃˢⁿ’ᵗ ᵈᵒᶦⁿᵍ ᵗᵒᵒ ʷᵉˡˡ.
❝ i… i’m jake, but here - even if i can’t do much else, it might be better if you at least borrowed them. my house isn’t too far away - i can help more if you have any idea how i could, but if you want me to give you space… ❞