Jeremiah Harding was eighteen years old and had barely entered community college when his father, Tomás Harding, sadly passed away due to stage four male breast cancer. Tomás had been diagnosed six months before he turned 45 years old, and he had just celebrated his 45th birthday before he died. Jeremiah's mother, Emily Harding (her maiden name was Foster), contacted Jeremiah and informed him about the six-month chemotherapy treatment Tómas had been undergoing. Jeremiah was stunned, to say the least. His father had never told him about the cancer, but told him that he was sick and trying to get better.

The college student felt that it wasn't fair that his father was taken away from him before he was able to graduate at all. Tómas had been a huge part of Jeremiah's life, and God decided to call him back home. That was what Emily said during the funeral. Jeremiah wasn't religious at all, and he hated the way his mother described the afterlife. He was openly bisexual and had come out at sixteen. 

While Tómas had accepted him, Emily flatout called a priest to "cure" her son of sin. Jeremiah saw that there was nothing wrong with him, but Emily made his life worse. He was homeschooled because he'd been bullied due to being smaller than the other students. That kind of treatment left mental scars on Jeremiah, and his mother constantly saying that he had been a mistake in her life created more marks that had never fully healed. Tómas kept telling Jeremiah that Emily didn't know what she was talking about and that he was perfect the way he was.

When Jeremiah was seventeen, Tómas contacted a marriage counselor to see if this marriage was healthy or toxic. The counselor observed Tómas and Emily's interactions, and he said that the marriage was okay. There hadn't been any arguments between the two; arguments about the same topic was a sign of a failing marriage, and that sign wasn't seen at all. Emily stopped hurting Jeremiah verbally, instead ignoring him except when he needed help with homework. Jeremiah tried to stay positive but found that it was getting increasingly difficult to do.

After the funeral, Jeremiah felt like there was something missing inside him. There was no more positivity inside his mind, and there was some anger inside his heart. Emily poured herself a glass of wine and downed it rapidly. She had never coped with emotions well when she was growing up, Jeremiah saw that it was obvious. Jeremiah bit his lip, unsure of what to say.

"Do you even miss Papá?" Jeremiah snapped at Emily. Emily looked at Jeremiah in surprise. "You treated me like I was nothing, but Papá was treated fine," he added. Emily sat down and sighed. Jeremiah stood up and walked out of the house. Tomás had commented on how much Jeremiah's temper reminded him of his own temper.

Jeremiah stalked to the bus stop, slowing down as he sobbed quietly.