I Adopted Four Brothers and Sisters Who Were About to Be Torn Apart

Instead, I spent my nights on the couch with the television playing until morning.

I went to work, came back home, ordered takeout, and stared blankly into space.

People constantly told me, “You’re so strong.”

I wasn’t strong. I was simply still alive.

About a year after the accident, I was sitting on that same couch at two in the morning, mindlessly scrolling through Facebook.

Random posts. Political arguments. Pet videos. Vacation photos.