*LEONARDO* When I walked into the house that evening, I found Jamin in the living room staring at the television. The screen was on, some random program flickering, but his eyes were empty. He wasn’t really watching anything. He was just sitting there, shoulders slightly hunched, as if the weight of the day still sat on top of him. When he finally turned to face me, his eyes were reddish and swollen. The sight of them made something twist hard under my ribs. “Hey,” I said, the word came out awkward, almost clumsy. I had faced boardrooms and threats, lots of near-death experiences without blinking, yet standing in front of this quiet, broken version of him left me unsure of my own voice. He slowly stood up. “You were… right. I never crossed her mind.” His voice was hoarse, scraped raw from crying. “But I’m an adult now… I… I don’t need her anymore.” His lower lip quivered as he spoke. He bit down on it hard, trying to keep control. “Did sh
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