ears since the accident, since Ryan Sterling brought my sister Meg and me

. Today, he was eight. He wanted a specia

ie!" Kyler yelle

a demanding child, spoiled by a f

r leg brace clicking softly. Her dance c

he said, her

Meg's quiet presence, a fixture li

then, with a sudden, malicious grin, he knocked his full

tant, shot up my ar

d. The one I secretly practiced with late at

eg's voice

of something – fear? sat

sed in a crisp suit, smel

motion?" he asked,

and, the sp

what did

Dad," Kyler mumbled

it under cold water. Ky

er said, the

. "Alright, son. Let'

No concern for the burn, jus

g to blister. This was more than just a burn.

was quiet, Meg found me

on purpos

ing my injured

doesn'

w that

years of knowing. Five yea

y hand was a dull, consta

t about

. Ryan'

consequence of a drunken night he p

in me. Maybe this would change thin

morning,

eadable at first

Ellie. It's

were col

e things with Kyler

an of my music, who'd pursued me briefly before the a

ember of

heart ached with a

the word bar

ha

, stronger this

for the first time, I saw something othe

ie. You can't raise a

ked, my voice trembling

swer. He did

ment. The coffee was just a prel

his. I would not let my child see

are leavi

harsh sound. "Leaving

air, laced with his cert

The fear was still there, but a new,

It was a symbol. Of their

y dec