“So, how do feel about him?”
I knew she already
saw the answer on my face but wanted to hear the words. I felt myself blush all
over.
“I love him too,
and I think he might be the one for me.”
She pulled me in for
a tight hug before leaning back and looking into my eyes. “You know your dad
will want to talk to both of you if this is getting serious.”
“Mom, I already
told him I was saving myself for my husband, and he is fine with that.” Good
grief! Dad seems determined to run him off.
“Good, he seems
like a wonderful boy,” she said, smoothing my ponytail.
I rolled my eyes.
“Mom, he’s not a boy. You make it sound like we’re twelve.”
She laughed
loudly. “Sorry honey, but you know you’ll always be my baby girl. I don’t care
how old you get.”
I leaned my head on
her shoulder, and she kissed my forehead. We said our goodnights, and I climbed
the stairs to my room. I took off my clothes and was about to slip on my
pajamas, when I caught a glimpse of something dark in my reflection in the dresser
mirror. I looked down at my bare belly and noticed two small purple bruises
above my hips. I reached down, touching one, and winced at the pain. I turned
to the side and there, on the back of my hip, were four small bruises in a row.
I twisted to look at the other side and saw the same pattern of bruises there too.
I stared at them as a tear fell from my eye and rolled down my cheek. The happiness
and love I’d felt only a few minutes before had vanished. I tried to mold my
fingers to fit the bruises but couldn’t, because Seth’s hands were much larger
than mine.
***
The next day we
had a date to go to the movies, and my parents were about to leave to go to the
grocery store. Dad stopped at the front door. “Katie, watch for Seth out the
window. He’s not allowed to come in while we are not here,” he said.
“I know, Daddy.
He won’t.”
He kissed my cheek
and smiled. “We trust you, pumpkin, but as your dad, I still have to say it,”
he said with a chuckle and they went out the door.
I ran upstairs to my
room to check my hair once more before Seth arrived. I heard the front door
close and called out, “Dad, did you forget something?”
I didn’t hear a
reply so I stepped into the hallway and there stood Seth with a huge grin on
his face.
“Seth? How did you
get in the house?”
He gave me a sly
grin. “I saw your parents drive away and tried the door. It wasn’t locked.”
I put my hands on my
hips, angry at him. He knew the rules. “You’re not supposed to be in the house
when they’re gone.”
He sighed and
rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a baby. I just want to see your room.”
“No, Seth. They trust
me,” I said, holding out my hand to keep him back.
He brushed past me
and stuck his head into my room. He laughed as he stepped in and looked around.
“Man, even your
room looks innocent.”
I looked around my
room. It looked normal to me. “What do you mean?”
He picked up a
stuffed teddy bear that was on my dresser. It was one I had since I was a
little girl. He held it out and shook it at me.
“Don’t you think
you’re a little old for this?”
I walked in and
took it from him. “Let’s go, Seth,” I said, putting it gently back on my
dresser.
He wasn’t done though.
He sat down on my bed and noticed my pajamas on the floor. He picked up the
shirt and shook his head. “Tell me you don’t seriously sleep in these hideous
pajamas. They’re covered in kittens.”
I felt tears well
up behind my eyes and looked down at the floor. I’d never been so embarrassed. Why
is he being so mean to me?
“Hey, come here. I was
only playing,” he said, his voice gentle.
I walked over to
him and stopped. He grabbed my waist to pull me forward and his hands hit my
bruises, causing me to cry out in pain.
His head shot up,
his eyes searching my face. “What’s
I knew she already
saw the answer on my face but wanted to hear the words. I felt myself blush all
over.
“I love him too,
and I think he might be the one for me.”
She pulled me in for
a tight hug before leaning back and looking into my eyes. “You know your dad
will want to talk to both of you if this is getting serious.”
“Mom, I already
told him I was saving myself for my husband, and he is fine with that.” Good
grief! Dad seems determined to run him off.
“Good, he seems
like a wonderful boy,” she said, smoothing my ponytail.
I rolled my eyes.
“Mom, he’s not a boy. You make it sound like we’re twelve.”
She laughed
loudly. “Sorry honey, but you know you’ll always be my baby girl. I don’t care
how old you get.”
I leaned my head on
her shoulder, and she kissed my forehead. We said our goodnights, and I climbed
the stairs to my room. I took off my clothes and was about to slip on my
pajamas, when I caught a glimpse of something dark in my reflection in the dresser
mirror. I looked down at my bare belly and noticed two small purple bruises
above my hips. I reached down, touching one, and winced at the pain. I turned
to the side and there, on the back of my hip, were four small bruises in a row.
I twisted to look at the other side and saw the same pattern of bruises there too.
I stared at them as a tear fell from my eye and rolled down my cheek. The happiness
and love I’d felt only a few minutes before had vanished. I tried to mold my
fingers to fit the bruises but couldn’t, because Seth’s hands were much larger
than mine.
***
The next day we
had a date to go to the movies, and my parents were about to leave to go to the
grocery store. Dad stopped at the front door. “Katie, watch for Seth out the
window. He’s not allowed to come in while we are not here,” he said.
“I know, Daddy.
He won’t.”
He kissed my cheek
and smiled. “We trust you, pumpkin, but as your dad, I still have to say it,”
he said with a chuckle and they went out the door.
I ran upstairs to my
room to check my hair once more before Seth arrived. I heard the front door
close and called out, “Dad, did you forget something?”
I didn’t hear a
reply so I stepped into the hallway and there stood Seth with a huge grin on
his face.
“Seth? How did you
get in the house?”
He gave me a sly
grin. “I saw your parents drive away and tried the door. It wasn’t locked.”
I put my hands on my
hips, angry at him. He knew the rules. “You’re not supposed to be in the house
when they’re gone.”
He sighed and
rolled his eyes. “Don’t be such a baby. I just want to see your room.”
“No, Seth. They trust
me,” I said, holding out my hand to keep him back.
He brushed past me
and stuck his head into my room. He laughed as he stepped in and looked around.
“Man, even your
room looks innocent.”
I looked around my
room. It looked normal to me. “What do you mean?”
He picked up a
stuffed teddy bear that was on my dresser. It was one I had since I was a
little girl. He held it out and shook it at me.
“Don’t you think
you’re a little old for this?”
I walked in and
took it from him. “Let’s go, Seth,” I said, putting it gently back on my
dresser.
He wasn’t done though.
He sat down on my bed and noticed my pajamas on the floor. He picked up the
shirt and shook his head. “Tell me you don’t seriously sleep in these hideous
pajamas. They’re covered in kittens.”
I felt tears well
up behind my eyes and looked down at the floor. I’d never been so embarrassed. Why
is he being so mean to me?
“Hey, come here. I was
only playing,” he said, his voice gentle.
I walked over to
him and stopped. He grabbed my waist to pull me forward and his hands hit my
bruises, causing me to cry out in pain.
His head shot up,
his eyes searching my face. “What’s
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