Inside, the line moved forward, the impatient shuffling and muted whispers continuing as if nothing had happened. But for Jacob, the world had stopped, leaving him on that curb, trembling and broken, as the weight of his failure bore down harder than ever.
The panic ebbed slowly, leaving Jacob trembling and gasping for air. He felt raw, exposed, as if the whole world had seen him break. The man who had once faced war zones with unwavering resolve now sat on a cold curb, undone by the simple act of buying groceries.