Gerard struggled with a lot of things. Motivation, comprehension, confidence. He coped the only way he knew how to, drowning himself in cans of beer.

His apartment was a mess, but no one came over anyways. He tapped his home phone so it could play the messages. He heard your voice. ‘All I can hope is for you to get better, because all I can take is no more.’

This caught his attention, so he stumbled through the mess to call you back. “hello?”