tw: fatal car accident, grief
Elizabeth " Liza " Claire Townhill (22) is the sister of Romy’s late boyfriend and a former student of Anuli, who chose to study literature thanks to how much she came to love the academic side of books after years of being an avid reader. Jack’s death was absolutely devastating for the Townhill family - its shadow still remaining: Liza’s mother almost had a nervous breakdown in the immediate weeks following the accident, and her mental health remains delicate, something her daughter and husband are constantly aware of, and try their best to ensure she’s supported at all times. Thanks to their age gap, Jack and Liza themselves were only becoming closer in the year prior to his death, and the ‘what if’ forever remains at the back of her mind: she wishes she could have seen her brother grow up, pursue his dreams and find absolute happiness. He was her only sibling, so there’s an emptiness in Liza’s world now, something she knows is irreplaceable, but always speaks of Jack when introducing herself to new people, as her biggest fear’s people erasing his memory [even if it’s unintentional].
Anuli actually stopped Liza from dropping out of college in the aftermath of the accident. She reached out to her former teacher as Liza had felt she should return home to be with her parents, however Anuli convinced her to continue with her education, as it would be even worse for Mr and Mrs Townhill to feel as if their daughter was limiting her future because of them. The structure of her life on campus was also a majorly grounding part of life, as well as one of Liza’s housemates having also lost their sibling years prior, and although the pair were close before Jack died, they became even more bonded subsequently; as Liza encouraged her roommate to open up, knowing she’d somewhat dampened her pain as people acted as if she needed to just get over it, because of all the time that had passed.
Although she doesn’t know what her first published book will be - if that’s something that happens, as Liza tells her mom and dad when they ask - she knows she’s going to dedicate it to them and Jack. Liza’s also considered including the others who died in the accident too, however she doesn’t want to step on the toes of Romy or Emma. Her late brothers’ girlfriend is someone Liza knows talking to is important - to ensure the young woman’s also having a chance to heal to the best of her ability [an especially tall order given her childhood circumstances] - however she hasn’t approached yet, as she doesn’t want Romy to be sucked back into that crushing blow in her life without adequate warning or time to prepare. She has actually been in touch with Emma in the past few weeks though: she’s applying for the same college Liza attends and was looking for some advice, as well as help looking towards closure - and it was a welcome surprise when Liza found an email from her waiting.