Lily, arrived
, his arm wrapped around her shoul
his voice bright. "She' s going t
nocent eyes that didn't look innocent at all. She clutched a
finally meet you,
m her face to Mark' s hand still
t the dining table, the air thick with a silence that felt heavy.
Mark, her bottom lip
f your chicken? The dark
, indulgent smile I hadn' t see
rse, swe
large piece from his own pl
rom his fork. Her lips brushed against the metal, her eyes locked on
frozen in my hand. It was a single, brazen move designed
sils down wit
too busy watching Lily ch
ed chicken from its platter on the counter. The ceramic was sti
I walked over to the trash
aped the entire chicken, every last piece of
a wet thud finally broke th
look at me, their
doing?" Mark' s voice was shar
y expression calm. I felt a str
rty," I s
She looked from me to Mark, her
she whispered, her voice cracking.
e moved to stand between me and Lily, as if protecting her. "Sh
n, Mark, and you know it," I
t are you talking about? She' s just a kid.
oesn' t give her the right to act like sh
in the air, h
face in her hands. "I' m so sorry. I'
omfort her. He placed a hand on her back, rubbing gentle circles. "It'
his eyes filled with disappointment. It was a l
is immediate, instinctual defense of
ere, Mark," I said.
d slapped him. Lily'
eady discussed this. Her family situation
"Our marriage, our home, this is my
stranger. "I can' t believe you' re saying this
e, toward the guest room. "Come on, Lily
sharp jab at me. He was dismissing me, telling this girl t
lk away, his arm
my voice stopping
k, his expres
ight," I said, looking him strai
onfusion. He didn't seem to understand the line that had been crossed.
t be so dramatic. Just go to bed and cool
e alone in the dining room with the smell of wasted food and the ech
silence was the only answer I n