We All Fall Down

Before John was born, his parents were young and full of promise.

Rick fell in love with Patrice’s brilliance and ambition, and together they imagined a life that would begin later. But when Patrice becomes pregnant, everything accelerates—and fractures. As her behavior grows increasingly erratic, Rick does what he can to hold the family together, but love and good intentions prove no match for an illness left unnamed.

John and his brother grown up in those shadows.

Years later, high school graduation feels like freedom. A road trip with friends and the hope of a new relationship offer John a clean break from the past he’s never fully confronted. But after a devastating accident, a long-buried family secret surfaces that devastate John. He leaves for college determined to sever ties with the family he associates only with damage and loss.

Until his brother calls to relay the news their father has died.

Back in the town—and the house—that shaped him, John is forced to face the memories he spent a year outrunning. Grief, guilt, and unanswered questions collide as Patrice refuses to As reality blurs and old wounds reopen, John must confront the most unsettling question of all:

Can we ever truly forgive and forget—or do we simply become what we were raised to survive?

Aimee Pinard is a Houston, Texas native living in southern Louisiana with her husband, two daughters, and dog. She’s a graduate from the University of Houston and began writing passionately when she decided to leave her office job and stay home with her girls. Finally scratching that itch allowed her an outlet to surviving motherhood and she truly enjoys sharing her fictional and real worlds. Visit her at www.thejourneylust.com.