The One Who Stayed

Your partner has probably seen it all. The highs, the lows, the nights you barely remember. The fights. The begging. The missed promises. The sickness. The ugliness. The bad breath. The lying. The shame. The aggressiveness. The arrogance. The shakes. The bruises. The tears. The fear. The I’ll never do it again.

Maybe they never had a messy relationship with alcohol. Maybe they’re one of those rare people who can have just one. You, on the other hand, know what it’s like to carry a ton of regret in front of the person you love. To wake up unsure of what you said or did. To see the same quiet disappointment in their eyes, over and over again. Even if it was only in your head.

You’ve wanted to be alone just so you wouldn’t have to hide. Because it was so goddamn tiring to keep the balance all along. You’ve felt the fake, alcohol-fueled power. Too wild for regular love. Too grand for rules. Too big for something so normcore.

Then came the next morning. And you prayed in your sleep that they’d stay and silently promised it would never happen again. But it did, and it did again until one day, when it finally stopped.

They stayed, hoping you’d come back.

If you have one of these rare souls beside you, keep them even closer. Love them twice now that you’re sober and can understand it all. Love yourself thrice for the strength they always saw in you. It’s there.

Take care of yourself. Take care of them.

Stay cool and sober,

High Sobriety Club