Chapter 2: The Purse
I crossed the room before I even remember deciding to move.
I grabbed Marlene under both arms and yanked her away. She twisted toward Lily for another second, as if there were one last thing she still needed to force into my child's ear.
"What the hell are you doing?"
Her expression changed instantly. The fury disappeared. Her shoulders settled. Her mouth tightened with offended dignity, like I'd embarrassed her at church instead of finding her pinning my daughter to the floor.
"Ethan, let go of me."
I released her, but I stayed between them.
Behind me, Lily scrambled backward until her spine hit the wall. She pulled her knees against her chest. Her purple unicorn shirt was stretched at the collar, and red finger marks were already rising on her shoulder.
Marlene smoothed her blouse.
"You're overreacting," she said. "Lily threw a tantrum. I was trying to calm her."
"You had your hand over her mouth."
"She was screaming."
"Because you were pinning her to the floor."
Marlene gave a brittle laugh. "You know how dramatic children can be."
She wasn't scrambling for an explanation. She was building one—one where she was the reasonable adult and my terrified daughter was somehow the problem.
I turned just enough to see Lily while keeping myself between them.
"Sweetheart, tell me what happened."
"Nothing happened," Marlene said.
"I asked Lily."
"She misunderstood a private conversation."
Lily's face had gone so pale her freckles seemed darker. She suddenly looked younger than nine.
"Dad," she whispered.
"I'm right here."
Her eyes shifted toward the black leather purse hanging from her desk chair.
"Check her purse."
Marlene's hand moved toward it.
Lily saw it too.
"Don't," she choked out.
I reached the purse first.
"Ethan," Marlene said softly, "this is humiliating."
"Then it should feel familiar."
May you like
Her eyes hardened.
I wanted to yell. Instead, I opened the purse.
