them.
“You’re not a bad girl,” Bo says. Uriah bounces his head up and down in agreement.
“No? What’s your definition of a bad girl then?” In my mind, I feel like I fill up that definition quite well with a big red letter “B” written on my chest.
“There're bad girls and a girl who’s made a bad choice,” Uriah says.
“You definitely made a bad choice. No argument there.” Bo adds.
I slouch and look at the wall. “Well, I can’t argue either,” I whisper, but I know they’ve heard me.
Uriah reaches across the table and smacks Bo on the arm. “You remember that time Lilly went missing in the woods?”
My rear burns a little from the memory of the punishment and I shift in the booth.
“Yeah, man, her momma paddled her something fierce. Right there, at the edge of the woods, in front of the whole town. Lilly looked like she had no idea what was happening,” Bo says.
“I don’t know if she got paddled for going missing or the way she talked to her momma after she was found.”
“Both,” I interject.
“You always did have a mouth.” Bo shakes his head. “I was lucky you kept quiet in front of Judge Kringle or you may not be sitting here.”
“I didn’t have anything to say.”
“Yeah, but when you do, it’s worth hearing most of the time.” Uriah smiles as he looks at me.
“Did your dad ever whip you like that?” Bo asks. I don’t think he’s thought through the question because the look on his face makes me think he regrets asking.
My head hurts all of a sudden. It feels like fireworks with a bad fuse busting inside my skull. “No, he didn’t have to whip me. He just used words and a tongue with a surgeon’s precision.”
“I didn’t know that Lilly,” Uriah says just above a whisper.
“Don’t. Don’t give me those looks.” I turn my head to the wall. “I don’t need your sympathy or your sweetness or anything.” Anger bubbles like fizzy soda in my throat. “This is why I never told anyone. I got what I got and that was all there was to it. Not like anyone could have done anything and I can’t change it now.”
The three of us sit in silence. It’s horrible and uncomfortable and it smells like toe jam socks. I wish I’d kept my mouth shut. Why didn’t I? It’s not like saying this stuff can change anything.
“How did your momma handle your dad?”
That’s a new question. I search my memories like an old library card catalog. “I don’t remember.”
“Do you know what happened to your biological parents? Did they ever try to contact you after you were adopted?”
“Some. My biological daddy, Will, did of course, ‘cause he was momma’s baby boy. I only met Uncle Robert a few times. Right before I was adopted, Lucy, my biological momma, kidnapped me. She got as far as West Virginia with me. I was gone two or three months. Can’t remember for sure now.” It pops out like hot kernels in an iron skillet. I slap my hand over my mouth. I don’t know why I said it.
Bo and Uriah react like I expect them to. The town may have known I was adopted, but few knew Lucy had taken me. It’s not like momma and daddy talked about it. Not from what I remember anyway.
“What?” they ask in unison.
It’s out now and I shrug because to me it’s not big news. I’ve lived with it so long it doesn't even feel real anymore. It never really occurred to me to say anything before now. What difference did it make?
“What did your momma and daddy do? Did your biological dad do anything?” Bo asks.
Uriah’s green eyes are studying me hard. He’s both shocked and heart hurt for me all at the same time.
“They hired a private investigator and prayed. The private investigator never could find me and eventually the FBI did. After they got me back, they made the adoption official. Lucy wrote a couple times when I got older, but I was mad at her. If she’d wanted to talk to me, maybe she should have hung around. I don’t know where she is now, and I have no
“You’re not a bad girl,” Bo says. Uriah bounces his head up and down in agreement.
“No? What’s your definition of a bad girl then?” In my mind, I feel like I fill up that definition quite well with a big red letter “B” written on my chest.
“There're bad girls and a girl who’s made a bad choice,” Uriah says.
“You definitely made a bad choice. No argument there.” Bo adds.
I slouch and look at the wall. “Well, I can’t argue either,” I whisper, but I know they’ve heard me.
Uriah reaches across the table and smacks Bo on the arm. “You remember that time Lilly went missing in the woods?”
My rear burns a little from the memory of the punishment and I shift in the booth.
“Yeah, man, her momma paddled her something fierce. Right there, at the edge of the woods, in front of the whole town. Lilly looked like she had no idea what was happening,” Bo says.
“I don’t know if she got paddled for going missing or the way she talked to her momma after she was found.”
“Both,” I interject.
“You always did have a mouth.” Bo shakes his head. “I was lucky you kept quiet in front of Judge Kringle or you may not be sitting here.”
“I didn’t have anything to say.”
“Yeah, but when you do, it’s worth hearing most of the time.” Uriah smiles as he looks at me.
“Did your dad ever whip you like that?” Bo asks. I don’t think he’s thought through the question because the look on his face makes me think he regrets asking.
My head hurts all of a sudden. It feels like fireworks with a bad fuse busting inside my skull. “No, he didn’t have to whip me. He just used words and a tongue with a surgeon’s precision.”
“I didn’t know that Lilly,” Uriah says just above a whisper.
“Don’t. Don’t give me those looks.” I turn my head to the wall. “I don’t need your sympathy or your sweetness or anything.” Anger bubbles like fizzy soda in my throat. “This is why I never told anyone. I got what I got and that was all there was to it. Not like anyone could have done anything and I can’t change it now.”
The three of us sit in silence. It’s horrible and uncomfortable and it smells like toe jam socks. I wish I’d kept my mouth shut. Why didn’t I? It’s not like saying this stuff can change anything.
“How did your momma handle your dad?”
That’s a new question. I search my memories like an old library card catalog. “I don’t remember.”
“Do you know what happened to your biological parents? Did they ever try to contact you after you were adopted?”
“Some. My biological daddy, Will, did of course, ‘cause he was momma’s baby boy. I only met Uncle Robert a few times. Right before I was adopted, Lucy, my biological momma, kidnapped me. She got as far as West Virginia with me. I was gone two or three months. Can’t remember for sure now.” It pops out like hot kernels in an iron skillet. I slap my hand over my mouth. I don’t know why I said it.
Bo and Uriah react like I expect them to. The town may have known I was adopted, but few knew Lucy had taken me. It’s not like momma and daddy talked about it. Not from what I remember anyway.
“What?” they ask in unison.
It’s out now and I shrug because to me it’s not big news. I’ve lived with it so long it doesn't even feel real anymore. It never really occurred to me to say anything before now. What difference did it make?
“What did your momma and daddy do? Did your biological dad do anything?” Bo asks.
Uriah’s green eyes are studying me hard. He’s both shocked and heart hurt for me all at the same time.
“They hired a private investigator and prayed. The private investigator never could find me and eventually the FBI did. After they got me back, they made the adoption official. Lucy wrote a couple times when I got older, but I was mad at her. If she’d wanted to talk to me, maybe she should have hung around. I don’t know where she is now, and I have no
Similar Books
