Liam O'Connor died in October. And for a very long time afterward, Cork's world lay under a constant gray overcast. He held his grief inside, however, and outwardly went about his days as if losing a father was something he knew how to handle. Partly, it was because people were awkward around him, especially his friends, who behaved toward him in a way that made him feel as if he had a terrible illness of some kind. And partly, it was because he had no idea at all how to wrap his understanding around so stunning a loss.

His mother tried to help, but because she had her own grief to deal with, he didn't want to burden her any further. In his own mind, he was the man of the house now, and he had to step up to his responsibilities.

Almost every night, he stuffed his face into his pillow and wept, smothering the sound so that no one would hear. The truth, which he didn't understand until much later, was that he kept his grief deep inside because he didn't want to give it up. He was afraid that to let go of his grief would be to let go of his father forever.

—William Kent Krueger; Trickster's Point

Holly Margl is the award-winning author of Witnessing Grief; Inviting Trauma and Loss to Our Coaching Conversations, An Enneagram Perspective, coach, coach mentor, and trainer specializing in grief, trauma, and the Enneagram.