The giver that lacked

In life when you give, you receive… or is it not? Well, this is a short story of a cheerful giver. But first—what is a giver? A giver is not just someone who drops money or material things and walks away. No. A giver is someone who gives presence. Someone who gives time without complaints. Someone who listens when others talk, even when they are tired. Someone who makes sure you are heard, even if nobody hears them. That is a giver. Liam was that kind of person. Not the loud kind. Not the rich kind. Just… always there. People called him at any hour, and he picked up. Not because he always had answers—but because he never ignored voices that needed him. He replied fast. He stayed longer than necessary. He carried conversations that weren’t even his burden to carry. Somewhere along the way, Liam became everyone’s safe place. And he never questioned it. They called him strong. He called it normal. But strength has a way of hiding things. Like the fact that Liam could hold everyone together… while slowly falling apart in silence. There were days he smiled so much it felt like the smile wasn’t even his anymore. Days he said “I’m fine” so many times that it stopped sounding like a lie—and started sounding like truth. And nights where his phone stayed quiet. Not because he had no people. But because nobody thought to ask if he was okay too. Still, Liam gave. Even when he was tired. Especially when he was tired. And that’s the part people never understood. Still think givers never lack? Try living like Liam. The one who spent his life filling everyone else’s emptiness… while quietly learning what it means to be empty himself.