“Why do people choose to do this over and over again? I don’t understand how they can bare it,” Sierra said, her voice quiet, her body almost numb. She hadn’t seen Damien in two weeks. The first week she’d cried so often, her face had looked like a white Oompa Loompa from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory.

Finally, the tears had stopped and a deep sense of numbness had set in, thankfully. She didn’t smile, didn’t cry, she just sort of existed.

“I promise it will get better. I know this answer sucks, but just give it some time. He’ll come around, you’ll see. You know what, though, if he...