frowned. “If I remember correctly, he didn’t say anything. He just stood across the pond looking at me.”
Brenda picked up one of the mixing bowls and began to break an egg into it.
Lacy turned toward Brenda. “Oh, wash that out. It fell on the floor.”
Brenda started to clean it. “He didn’t say anything?”
Lacy shook her head. “He was also there when we were at the hospital.”
Brenda dried the bowl and broke an egg into it. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. “Really?”
Lacy nodded. “And at school, too.”
Brenda poured milk and vanilla into the bowl and beat the ingredients with a hand mixer. “Oh come on, Lacy, do you expect me to believe this friend just shows up out of nowhere?” She added flour, baking powder, and salt and mixed them all together.
Lacy got out the pancake griddle and began to preheat it. She looked squarely at her mother. “Are you forgetting something?”
“What?” Brenda asked, innocently.
“Ah-hum...” Lacy said, and tapped her foot.
“Oh, all right,” Brenda said, smirking. “Jeez, can’t put anything over on you, can I?” She reached up and took a banana out of the fruit bin, then added a little more milk to thin the batter. Lacy eyed her sternly and handed her the blueberries.
Reluctantly, Brenda took the berries. “I don’t even like blueberries,” she protested, as she put them in the batter and folded the mixture.
“They’re good for you,” Lacy said as if she were the parent, instead of Brenda. “They have all those antitoxins in them.”
Brenda made a mocking face at her and rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mother, and they’re antioxidants, not antitoxins.” They laughed.
Brenda watched as her daughter poured some batter onto the hot griddle. She heard the sizzle as the batter hit. Within seconds, she smelled the blueberries, their sweet scent wafting through the air. Her stomach growled. “Wow, they actually smell pretty good.”
“See.”
“I said smell, not taste.”
“That will come.”
Lacy took the last of the pancakes off the griddle and carried the platter to the table. Brenda got plates and silverware out and followed her. She returned to the kitchen and grabbed the margarine and juice from the refrigerator.
Brenda looked mournfully at the clock. Their together-time was almost over. “You left school early today?”
“I couldn’t handle the stares anymore.”
Brenda reached out and touched Lacy’s face. Lacy flinched but didn’t pull back. Brenda always surveyed the damage. This time, however, Lacy grabbed her mother’s arm and looked her in the eye. “Why do we stay, Mom?”
Brenda looked away.
Lacy grabbed her chin and pulled her eyes back to her own. “Answer me, Mother.”
Brenda sighed as the first tears slipped out of her eyes and traveled down to the hollow of her neck. “Because he would never let us leave.”
“Why is it his choice?”
Brenda sighed and looked at Lacy, so young, so naïve. Her eyes softened. “Where would we go, baby? I have no job skills. How could I make a living for us?”
Lacy pursed her lips together and grabbed both of her mother’s arms. “We could try. Together we could do it. I have my job at the diner. Maybe you could get a job there, too.”
Brenda laughed sarcastically. “Really, Lacy? Do you think I could support us on diner tips? The world out there is harsh.” She looked away. “Besides, if you think the beatings are bad now, imagine what they would be like if we left him.” She shook her head emphatically. “He’d just drag us back, and I fear what he’d do then.”
Lacy stood so abruptly her chair toppled over. She threw down her napkin on the table. “I didn’t know you were such a coward.”
Brenda closed her eyes against the pain of Lacy’s words. She heard Lacy’s bedroom door slam shut. Then she let the tears flow.
Chapter Five
Dr. Petoro gazed through his laryngoscope at Wendy Wyatt’s inflamed tonsils. Her mother, nineteen-year-old
Brenda picked up one of the mixing bowls and began to break an egg into it.
Lacy turned toward Brenda. “Oh, wash that out. It fell on the floor.”
Brenda started to clean it. “He didn’t say anything?”
Lacy shook her head. “He was also there when we were at the hospital.”
Brenda dried the bowl and broke an egg into it. The hairs on the back of her neck prickled. “Really?”
Lacy nodded. “And at school, too.”
Brenda poured milk and vanilla into the bowl and beat the ingredients with a hand mixer. “Oh come on, Lacy, do you expect me to believe this friend just shows up out of nowhere?” She added flour, baking powder, and salt and mixed them all together.
Lacy got out the pancake griddle and began to preheat it. She looked squarely at her mother. “Are you forgetting something?”
“What?” Brenda asked, innocently.
“Ah-hum...” Lacy said, and tapped her foot.
“Oh, all right,” Brenda said, smirking. “Jeez, can’t put anything over on you, can I?” She reached up and took a banana out of the fruit bin, then added a little more milk to thin the batter. Lacy eyed her sternly and handed her the blueberries.
Reluctantly, Brenda took the berries. “I don’t even like blueberries,” she protested, as she put them in the batter and folded the mixture.
“They’re good for you,” Lacy said as if she were the parent, instead of Brenda. “They have all those antitoxins in them.”
Brenda made a mocking face at her and rolled her eyes. “Yes, Mother, and they’re antioxidants, not antitoxins.” They laughed.
Brenda watched as her daughter poured some batter onto the hot griddle. She heard the sizzle as the batter hit. Within seconds, she smelled the blueberries, their sweet scent wafting through the air. Her stomach growled. “Wow, they actually smell pretty good.”
“See.”
“I said smell, not taste.”
“That will come.”
Lacy took the last of the pancakes off the griddle and carried the platter to the table. Brenda got plates and silverware out and followed her. She returned to the kitchen and grabbed the margarine and juice from the refrigerator.
Brenda looked mournfully at the clock. Their together-time was almost over. “You left school early today?”
“I couldn’t handle the stares anymore.”
Brenda reached out and touched Lacy’s face. Lacy flinched but didn’t pull back. Brenda always surveyed the damage. This time, however, Lacy grabbed her mother’s arm and looked her in the eye. “Why do we stay, Mom?”
Brenda looked away.
Lacy grabbed her chin and pulled her eyes back to her own. “Answer me, Mother.”
Brenda sighed as the first tears slipped out of her eyes and traveled down to the hollow of her neck. “Because he would never let us leave.”
“Why is it his choice?”
Brenda sighed and looked at Lacy, so young, so naïve. Her eyes softened. “Where would we go, baby? I have no job skills. How could I make a living for us?”
Lacy pursed her lips together and grabbed both of her mother’s arms. “We could try. Together we could do it. I have my job at the diner. Maybe you could get a job there, too.”
Brenda laughed sarcastically. “Really, Lacy? Do you think I could support us on diner tips? The world out there is harsh.” She looked away. “Besides, if you think the beatings are bad now, imagine what they would be like if we left him.” She shook her head emphatically. “He’d just drag us back, and I fear what he’d do then.”
Lacy stood so abruptly her chair toppled over. She threw down her napkin on the table. “I didn’t know you were such a coward.”
Brenda closed her eyes against the pain of Lacy’s words. She heard Lacy’s bedroom door slam shut. Then she let the tears flow.
Chapter Five
Dr. Petoro gazed through his laryngoscope at Wendy Wyatt’s inflamed tonsils. Her mother, nineteen-year-old
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