{"product_id":"ledge","title":"Ledge","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eBeautiful disaster.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first thing that comes to mind when I think of her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWho hurt you?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThe first question comes to mind when I open my mouth to greet her.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAlthough it wasn't the easiest to reach, I knew \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eher heart was pure\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. Gentle to the touch yet stubborn as a bull, she made it hard to resist her. Unintentionally, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eshe sank her hooks in me\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. She was the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ecalm before my storm\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. A thunderous, darkening storm with lightning that graciously \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eexposed the paternity of my brother and me\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. Though the gloom of it all lingered above both our heads, the winds that accompanied the storm were the \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ebreath of fresh air\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e that I needed. Instead of the hovering clouds producing gazillions of little droplets of rain, they showered me with \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003enew siblings, nieces, nephews, sister-in-laws, and brother-in-laws\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. For so long, it had just been me, my mother, my cousins, and my brother. But, then there was her and eventually, them. Simultaneously, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI found my father and my forever\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. And, I was ready for \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ewhatever when it came down to them both.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eVictim of my despair.\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThat's what I believe him to be.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eWhy must you continue hurting yourself to love me?\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIt's the question I desperately want to ask the man who sees no flaws in such a flawed woman.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003ePersistent, he was - unintentionally making it most difficult to \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ebury my trauma\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. Forgetting the past and what it had done to me wasn't easy. I lived with the consequences of it all each and every day. But, him, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ehe made me want to\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. The issue was, I couldn't. Not for him. Not for me. Not for our future. So, instead of stringing him along, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eI prayed each day that he'd find someone to fill the void that his heart must've suffered from\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e because I couldn't. But, \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003ehe didn't want anyone else\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e. He wanted me. I just didn't have myself to give. Not to him... \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eand not even to me\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Grey Huffington","offers":[{"title":"Paperback","offer_id":46524187771116,"sku":"9781737829652","price":31.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0684\/1791\/3068\/files\/9781737829652.jpg?v=1749061111","url":"https:\/\/intl.allstora.com\/products\/ledge","provider":"Allstora","version":"1.0","type":"link"}