Page 54 (1/2)

She sat, and the chair’s plastic creaked slightly underneath her The back unyielded, and Dani’s skin molded around the seat’s back She folded her arms, unfolded thes underneath

Sandra chuckled "They’re damn uncomfortable, ain’t they?"

Dani smiled abruptly There was the Sandra she re like that"

"You come for your second visit today I suppose you hat I promised you"

"If you’re up for it"

"What do you care?" Her question came out like a bark

"I care" And Dani realized that she did care Very much

"I don’t even care How am I supposed to believe that you care?"

"I’ve learned recently that there are people out there who do care And I think I’ift horse in the randhed and lay back down on her bed

"Have you always been like this?"

No answer

"Is this why my aunts don’t talk to you?"

There wasn’t an answer Dani waited, suddenly filled with an uncanny calth filled her She didn’t knohere it cath as she held one of the children in her arms It came from nowhere, at a time when she should’ve broken She learned that day she could feel strength and weakness at the same time She could feel surety and terror at the sa the storhters don’t talk to me because they don’t know I’m here I only told one person I was here"

Dani bit back the inevitable question