7 years ago. October 6, 2017 at 2:29 AM
On the outside, I sit with a smile as I follow the routine: watching TV with the family; homework; and tucking the youngest into bed. Nothing crosses my face as I continue the ruse. I have had years to perfect my mask - the illusion of content, of happiness, of control.
On the inside, I fall slowly apart: tears flow freely; pain rips at my heart; and voices of condemnation overwhelm me. The pain I have caused and my guilt consume me. My carefully constructed control held together by no more than a string. One word, one more problem, one more pain, and I plunge into the abyss.