82. MOTHERS

~ Liam ~ “Thank you. You’re a great friend, Liam,” Talia said as her hand reached out to touch Liam’s elbow. Liam flinched a little at the contact.   “A great friend…” Talia probably didn’t mean anything by that, but Liam took it personally. He actually got upset over it. “Sure thing,” he said curtly, flashing her a quick smile before turning his eyes to the TV again.   A fúcking friend. That’s all I’ll ever be, I guess. Liam sat with that sour feeling in his chest. He was quiet, he couldn’t even enjoy the game. Meanwhile, Talia would peer over at him every now and then. She sensed something was wrong, but no one said anything.   Of course, she’ll say that. I’ve always been just a friend to her. What else is she supposed to say?  The silence in the air went on for a while. Even when Liam’s team scored a touchdown, he didn’t even yell or celebrate. He just sat there with an empty look. “Hey, Liam,” Talia said suddenly, breaking the silence. “Hm?” “Why are you so nice to me?” “What?” “Wh