The sun dipped lower in the sky, casting long shadows across the parking lot. Jacob let out a shaky breath, his resolve splintering under the weight of it all. “I need to do better,” he whispered, though the words felt hollow. For now, all he could do was sit, curled up on the curb, as the world moved on around him.
His chest still heaved from the remnants of his panic attack, and he struggled to collect himself. He wanted to disappear, to escape the shame that clung to him like a second skin. He had left the groceries behind, but the weight of failure followed him outside.