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She hadn’t even turned on the light forthe bite of the frosty air on my bare skin I launchedaround until I found it I tried shaking the handle, jiggling it, still thinking, hoping, praying that this was soot back inside, there would be a plate of pancakes at the table and Dad would bring in the presents, and we could--we could--we could pretend like the night before had never happened, even with the evidence in the next roo Pounding ainst it "Mommy, I’m sorry! Please!"
Dad appeared a ht froht-red face over his shoulder; he turned to wave her off and then reached over to flip on the overhead lights
"Dad!" I said, throwing my arot in return was a light pat on the back
"You’re safe," he toldvoice
"Dad--there’s so The tears were burning my cheeks "I didn’t mean to be bad! You have to fix her, okay? She’s…she’s…"
"I know, I believe you"
At that, he carefully peeledon the step, facing Mo, listening tothat had happened since I walked into the kitchen He pulled out a sain, but he cutdown an ar I had seen hi like this before, on Take Your Child to Work Day at the station The way he spoke, the way he wouldn’t let me touch him--I had watched him treat another kid this way, only that one had a black eye and a broken nose That kid had been a stranger
Any hope I had felt bubbling up inside me burst into a thousand tiny pieces
"Did your parents tell you that you’d been bad?" he asked when he could get a word in "Did you leave your house because you were afraid they would hurt you?"
I pushed round This is my house! I wanted to scream You are my parents! My throat felt like it had closed up on itself
"You can talk to ently "I won’t let anyone hurt you I just need your nao down to the station and make so finally broke ainst hi him over and over, like that would drive some sense back into hiot to cal my wrists "It’ll be okay I’ll call ahead to the station, and then we’ll go"
"No!" I shrieked "No!"
He pulledhis way to the door My nails caught the back of his hand, and I heard hirunt in pain He didn’t turn back around as he shut the door