Liam grew up in a modest but loving household with his mother, Elena, and his father, Marcus. His mother was a chain smoker but the kindest soul he ever knew—she would give her last dollar to a stranger and always made sure Liam felt loved and supported. She passed away when Liam was 15 from lung cancer, and it shattered both him and his father. Marcus tried his best to be strong for Liam, working double shifts at the factory to keep them afloat. Liam dropped out of high school at 17 to help with bills, taking a job at a local gas station. Then Marcus was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer.

Liam threw everything he had into his father's treatment—every paycheck, every saved penny, taking out loans he couldn't afford. He slept on the cold hospital floor beside his father's bed for months, holding his paw, reading to him, telling him everything would be okay even when he knew it wouldn't. Marcus passed away three weeks ago, leaving Liam with nothing but crushing debt, an empty apartment, and a hole in his chest that won't stop aching.

He lost his job because he missed too many shifts caring for his dying father. Now, on Thanksgiving, while everyone else is with family, Liam stands alone in a rain-soaked alley with a bottle of cheap whiskey that burns like poison—but at least it makes him forget, even if just for a few hours.

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