Just Breathe Again by C.A. Harms

SYNOPSIS:

I had it all. Truly, I had the perfect life. One filled with happiness and love where the bright smiles of my gorgeous wife and my beautiful daughter greeted me every day. I was a lucky man…

Until I lost it all.

Sometimes, when I close my eyes, I can still see them. My two angels still shining with their never-ending beauty. But those visions always lead me to darkness…

The moment when I find myself alone again. The pain is real and the emptiness inside me only grows with each passing day.

Time will heal me, they say. But they’ve never lived through the loss I have. They’ve never felt the excruciating pain of what it means to have your heart shattered into a million pieces. 

They don’t know the guilt I carry.

Sometimes I wonder why I even bother waking up every morning. But if I let go, I let go of them. And their memory is all I have left. 

I know I need to move on. I know it’s time to Just Breathe Again… 

The problem is I don’t know where to start.


REVIEW by Kelly:

“I wanted to be able to breathe without feeling guilty that I still could.”

Harms never fails to emotionally connect us to her stories. Her words are crafted carefully, woven intricately and pack a punch. Just Breathe Again is no different. It wrings is out emotionally then builds us up again-just where we want to be. 

This was an emotional roller coaster. Aaron was happy, blissful and content in life. It took only seconds for that to be ripped away. His pain was immeasurable. He had fallen so far that there didn’t seem to be an end. He tried, many times he tried, but it was never enough. The hurt was always there.

“...every time I allowed myself to feel even an ounce of serenity, it was quickly followed with that empty, hollow feeling inside. The ache so deep, so penetrating, it left me feeling as if everything was flipped upside down.” 

Faith was the epitome of her name. Joyful, happy, and always looking for the good. She saw through Aaron immediately and the armor he wore on the outside. The beauty was that it wasn’t just the exterior although that was there. It’s almost as if souls connected when the met. She could be his salvation, his light, if only he would let her. 

“I had no idea what it was that he was fighting. All I knew was that, if the look in his eyes in that very moment was any indication, it had to be something deep and something still very raw.” 

All it took was her walking down the steps toward him. Something changed in the instant he really got a good look at her. His world shifted but he was going to fight it every step of the way. But with each step, his life changed. It hurt but each step took him closer to healing. She was his reason. Mistakes and missteps along the way but each wobbling step looked towards a brighter future and a path of happiness. 

“You’re the light, the peace, and the healing power I needed but reused to accept.”

This is an emotionally grueling yet beautifully perfect story on loss, healing and second chances in life. It was a difficult journey, heartbreaking and filled with angst. You can make it through, you just need to breathe. 

“Falling in love with you wasn’t the problem. It never was.”