All we need is a little help.

It's the first day of the new year, Maya was sleeping soundly when she was awoken by the sound of clattering bottles. She lets out an exhausted sigh as she pushes herself out of bed, she grabs her robe from the place it hangs behind her door and puts it on, then walks out of her room. As she walked down the hallway, she heard the sound of the dryer running. She stalked closer to the living room where she was sure she'd find her father passed out in a pile of empty liquor bottles and trash, but instead she found nothing, in fact, it was clean. It was then that confusion had set in, had someone broken into their house, washed their dirty laundry and cleaned the living room?

She heard more clattering bottles, this time coming from the kitchen. She tiptoes towards the origin of the sound, hoping to catch this trespasser in the act and instead, she stumbles upon her father carrying two heaps of trash bags filled with empty bottles and struggling to close the dishwasher.

"What are you doing?" she asked, taking in her father's clean appearance. Replaced with the usual vomit-stained shirt was a clean light blue one and the usual afternoon stubble under his chin was clean shaven, even his face looked brighter, and what was that smell, she wandered as she looked around the kitchen. Her eyes finally settled on the two steaming plates of fluffy pancakes and scrambled eggs.

"I just got done cleaning the house," he said as he disappeared behind the back door. he dumped the two bags on the ground outside and came back in to where his daughter stood, she stared at the plates on the kitchen island, practically salivating, and the sight warmed his heart, "I made breakfast and was hoping we could eat together before you leave for school." he smiled.

She nodded and ran back to her room, returning with a toothbrush and paste in hand. She finished brushing her teeth in the sink and went to sit across from her father where he was waiting.

She grabbed a fork and cut a piece of her pancake, slowly bringing it to her mouth when her father spoke, "I'm gonna do it right this time kiddo." and it finally dawned on her what was going on. 

She dropped the fork back onto the plate, pushed it towards him, making the stack of pancakes topple over, and scoffed, "So that's what this is about," she spat.

He looked at her, confusion painted on his face, "What are you talking about, sweetie?"

"Don't sweetie me, Mason." Her use of his first name hurt but there was nothing he could do about it, "You do this shit every year and every year you always say the same thing. I'm gonna do it right this time," she mocked.

"But I'm serious-"

"You said that too, what makes this time any different?" she asked but he couldn't find any response to her. He had in fact promised that he'd do better, that he wouldn't drink again and that he was serious but all of those ended in failures and broken promises. She rolls her eyes and stands up, "Whatever, Joe has me on speed dial if anything happens." she says as she began to walk towards her room.

Her father walked behind her but she moved fast and closed the door on him in mere seconds. He banged on her room door, "Why does that bartender have your number?" he asked.

"All the bartenders in a twenty mile radius have me on speed dial. So go on ahead and have fun." she said.

He tried to talk to her, plead with her even, but they fell on deaf ears. Defeated, he walked back to the kitchen to continue with his breakfast. He kept staring at the empty seat across from him longingly, hoping that she'd have a change of heart and come back but she didn't. He stood up and began clearing the plates when he heard the door to her room open. She came out clothed in her school uniform. She stopped at the door of the kitchen, staring at her father's back as he washed the dishes.

"This time, I'm serious. I promise you Maya." he said.

The sincerity in his voice made her want to believe him but after so many times of being let down, she just couldn’t let herself fall for it again, “Let’s hope it lasts this time.” she said sarcastically as she walked out of the door.

When Maya got to school, she couldn’t wait to tell her friends what had happened, “You wouldn’t believe the shit I woke up this morning?” she asked her friend Emma as she sat in her chair.

“What is  it this time?” Emma groaned, she too knew about the father’s new year’s resolutions that always ended in tears.

"He was cleaning up, and he even made breakfast." she replied.

"Well that's earlier than usual." Tom, Maya's boyfriend said, coming up behind her while Jack, Emma's boyfriend stalked closely behind him.

"That's what I said." she said in agreement, "but I'm not gonna fall for it this time. I bet he won't even last three days." she jested.

"I bet he won't last a day." Tom spoke.

"Twenty says he doesn't last five days." Jack bets as well.

Tom looked deep in thought for a second before speaking again, "Since we're putting money on this, I withdraw my comment. Twenty more says he won't last a week."

"Two weeks." Emma yelled.

"You guys, come on, this is still my father we're talking about." a moment of silence fell upon the group, Maya giving judgmental stares to everyone before she spoke again, "I give it a month." she said and everyone burst into laughter.

Time passed since the bet, days turned into weeks. Tom lost, Jack lost and Emma lost, only Maya remained. It was the last week of the month and Maya hadn't a clue if she was going to win and with the way her father had progressed, she didn't think there was a chance in hell that he was going to take a drink, I mean he even got a job. It is Saturday no, Maya is in the living room watching tv as her father entered.

"Honey, I have to go to work." he says fastening his belt.

"Cool." she says, not even sparing him a glance.

"Uh... I was wondering if you wanted to come check it out, I work at this shoe store in the mall-"

"Why are you telling me this?" she interrupted him, not even bothering to hide her disinterest.

"Well they gave me an employee discount of fifty percent off and I was wondering if you would like to come, maybe you can invite Emma?"

She paused her film and perked up from the couch, "Really?" she chirped.

"Yeah." he smiled.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you." she ran to him and was about to hug him and he was ready to do the same when she stopped halfway and collected herself, "Um... Thanks, dad." she said awkwardly.

His heart soared at hearing that single word, he didn't think he could ever be so happy as he was right now. Maybe she was starting to trust him. Maybe.

At the mall, after Emma and Maya's shoe shopping spree, they sat at the food court, conversing and giggling. Meanwhile, Mason had got off from work having scheduled a part-time shift because he wanted to spend some time with his daughter. He approached the food court where he knew she was and immediately spotted her and Emma and began walking towards them.

"May-" he started to speak when he was cut off by the sound of Emma's voice.

"So, I guess he hasn't had a drink since?" Emma asked,

"I guess so." Maya replied, taking a sip of her drink.

Emma tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, "so who does the money go to since we all lost."

"My month isn't over yet, that money is mine." she declared smugly.

Mason was able to put two and two together, the disrespect was hurtful but it was well deserved, after years and years of broken promises, it was only natural that she'd feel this way about him.

"Hi girls," he spoke, giving them a start, "how about we go watch a movie?"

"Nah." Maya replied, "but can I go over to Emma's? Her mum's coming to pick us up."

"Oh," he said, disappointment welling in his chest alongside the sting of her words from earlier. He made time for her and she's blowing him off and yes after all he had done, he felt like he deserved it, "okay, have fun." he said and walked away.

"Joe, whiskey. Neat." Mason ordered the bartender.

He placed the cup in front of him and slowly poured it in, Mason watched as it poured to the last drop. He stared at the cup in front of him for what seemed like hours but that was all he did, stare. At some point he picked it up and took a deep inhale of it, he could almost taste it, all he needed to do was bring the cup to his lips and gulp it down but an image of his daughter appeared in his mind and he couldn't bring himself to do it. The last time he drank, he got a diagnosis that he had a few months at best to live if he didn't stop.

"Dad." he heard his daughter's voice.

he turned his face to see her standing at the door, her face twisted in an emotion he couldn't decipher, then he remembered he still had the cup in his hand.

"This isn't what it looks like, I promise."

"Enough with the stupid promises dad, you know you can't keep them yet you throw them around all willy nilly expecting me to believe you each time." Maya was hurt by the sight she saw, even though she didn't want to have hope that he'd do the right thing this time, she couldn't stop herself.

Something in Mason snapped and he couldn't stop the words from spilling out from him, "What, are you mad at me? Wouldn't it be better if I drank this?" he asked, waving the cup around, "then you can win that stupid bet of yours."

Maya was taken aback by his comment, how could he have known about that? "Did Emma tell you?" she asked.

"If it makes you feel better, I didn't drink it, but I doubt it'd make you feel better since you don't get your money." he spat.

"Okay then, go ahead." Maya couldn't stop her own words now too, "Go ahead and drink it. God you're such a fucking loser, no wonder mum left you. All you do is drink, drink and break promises. Those are the only things you're good at."

They were yelling at each other so much so that the whole bar stopped and watched, Joe tried to intervene a few times but his peaceful words were drowned out by more yelling.

"I hate you." The moment those words left her lips, Mason clutched his chest, his words wouldn't come out and his breathing labored, "dad? Dad, are you okay?" Maya asked, running to him.

Mason fell to the floor as Maya rushed to his side, he was gasping for air, his hand on his chest, tears filling his eyes as he stared at his daughter, "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I didn't mean it, I don't hate you please I'm sorry." she pleaded, "Can someone call a goddamn ambulance already." she yelled.

Maya watched as her father's consciousness slipped. An ambulance arrived a few moments later and she wouldn't leave his side. She rode with them to the emergency room where her dad was immediately admitted.

Mason woke up in a daze, looking around the strange, all white room, the only figure he recognized was his daughter sitting at his side, tears streaming down her face. He slowly started to recollect the events of the night before he passed out, he felt a sting in his arm from where the IV drip was connected.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Maya spoke, "If you had told me-"

"If I had told you, what would you have done?" he asked, "Would you have treated me differently if you knew I was dying? Been nicer to me?"

There was nothing Maya could say, she insulted him and disrespected him in ways that no one deserves.

"When your mother left, I didn't feel heartbroken, even though I already kind of knew and when you started acting out, I had no idea what to do. A teenage girl should be with her mother and the fact that you missed her made me miss her too and I didn't want to. I didn't want to love her because she left us, so I turned to alcohol. It numbed any feelings I had and it was the greatest feeling in the world Maya." he paused, "but then I saw how it affected you, you hated me almost so I tried to stop, but it was hard, it was so hard and you didn't make it any better but I understand, you're a teenager, teenagers act up but I couldn't stop myself. Every year I make a new promise and every year I break it."

"How did you know you were dying?" she sniffled.

He licked his lips, "During the Christmas party at Joe's last year, I drank so much I got sent to the ER and that's when I got my diagnosis, my liver is a mess."

"What about a transplant?"

"It's too far gone, I doubt it'd even work." he said, "I should've told you."

"How long?"

"If I stopped, maybe two to three years," he answered.

Maya wiped her tears from her face, putting up a brave front, "Then, I'll help you. I'll help you keep your promise."