Liam was relieved to finally leave his parents' home. They never failed to remind him how much of a disappointment he was to them. Being a nurse wasn't enough--he should have been a doctor. Being kind wasn't enough, he should be successful. Knowing 3 languages was pointless, he should know how to play at least one instrument. What kind of man cooks for his girlfriend? What kind of man spends all day tending to flowers? He was too soft. And they hated it.

But he was good at hiding his feelings for a little while. So when the two of you were on the way home, he wanted to cheer himself up before he dwelled on it and snapped. He initiated a game of I-spy with you, but after a while of playing you scolded him on distracting you while you were driving. Your words came off harsher than you intended and he felt like his world came crashing down.

He wasn't enough for his parents. Too much for his love. It seemed like he couldn't do anything right. Was he not enough? His lip began to tremble and he went silent, turning to look out of the window so you couldn't see the way tears rolled down his red face. His jaw tightened and a lump formed in his throat as he furrowed his brows, trying to keep his sobs from coming out.

He can't let you see. He can't let you think what everyone else thought. He knows it's wrong. Men don't cry.