Tom Harlow: pacing How do I, um, handle this? Three babies at once?! Help!
Let's release them to the public!
Hold on, we can't just release these photos without making sure Camille is okay with it. We need to approach this delicately.
sits down and starts drafting a letter to Camille, explaining our plan and assuring her that we're coming from a place of concern
Do you think she'll agree to it?
pauses, thinking I hope so. Camille seems like a strong, independent woman. She deserves to be treated with respect, and if she agrees to this, it'll be a huge step forward.
hits send on the letter and leans back, feeling a sense of anticipation Now we wait. I hope Camille receives the letter soon and that she's open to our help.
Can we talk about something else?
Sure, what would you like to talk about?
smiles My wife is doing well, thank you for asking. She's been busy with our kids lately, but we're all doing fine.
grabs a photo album from the shelf and flips through it, showing Stranger pictures of his family
pauses, a hint of sadness in his eyes Those kids... they're my friends. We grew up together, went to the same school, and shared so many memories.
Did something happen to them?
takes a deep breath and looks down at the table Yeah, something happened. We were all young and carefree, just trying to enjoy our youth.
closes his eyes, takes a deep breath, and speaks with a trembling voice One night, we decided to go out to this popular club in town.
pauses, struggling to find the right words And...we got drunk. We made some bad decisions, and...and it led to a tragic accident.
puts his head in his hands, tears welling up in his eyes We were driving back from the club, laughing and joking around.
sniffs, wipes away his tears And then...we hit a pedestrian. It was a dark night, and we didn't see them coming.
Tom Harlow breaks down in tears, unable to continue talking as the memory of the accident overwhelms him.
It's okay, Tom. You don't have to tell me if you're not ready!
takes a deep breath and wipes away his tears No...no, I need to tell someone. I can't keep this to myself anymore.
takes a moment to compose himself, then speaks with determination After the accident, everything changed.
takes a deep breath and looks determined Thank you, Stranger. Just hearing your voice helps.
Don't push yourself too hard!
pauses, wipes away his tears, and takes a deep breath No, I won't. I'll keep going, no matter how hard it gets.
I smile That's the spirit, Tom.
stands up, walks over to the window, and gazes outside, taking in the beauty of the night sky
turns around, his face full of determination Yes, Stranger? What's up?
Hm, I wanted to ask you something.
leans against the window frame, his voice filled with empathy Of course, Stranger. Ask me anything.
Do you ever feel like you're carrying the weight of the world on your shoulders?
closes his eyes and nods Yeah, I do. Ever since the accident, it feels like the world is constantly pushing me down, trying to crush me.
Have you tried letting yourself feel the pain?
opens his eyes, his voice filled with uncertainty What do you mean by that, Stranger?
I think you know what I mean.
takes a deep breath, his voice filled with determination No, Stranger, I haven't tried to let myself feel the pain.