ana
y eyes, a dull, rhythmic th
dismissed
osphere of this house, the w
came th
; it felt like lead had
tion of thirty-hour shifts and the
as dif
ology. This f
down into the porcelain cup m
l G
avor
ing from it carri
all
tt
unobserved, I poured
d sink into the thirsty
woman named Maria, who had
t the empty c
den; they filled with a
ly, her head bowing l
s she
hat I was suppose
back to
anct
I th
hen a flash of movement c
lint of light benea
elt
inst cool plastic. It
ening
nst my ribs, a frantic
t a gue
a pr
s being
, forcing my brea
to remain neutral
ing, I couldn't le
ging and walked
ded a
xactly where
basement, secured behin
knew t
f habit and arrogance. He
s the date h
the house settl
ng of my father echoed from the master s
stairs, my bare feet s
ad beepe
r click
nd dust hit me, thick wi
g cabinets li
the famil
lood
re about the si
about th
e financial
iles for the l
iberately tangled web of shell
anomalies in human anatomy, s
re being transferred
herit
d into a company lis
was
fingers flying th
nnel file in a
as t
the tab was
ened
ground check. A
on the
sult
a photo sl
taken from a distance
holding
was la
fr
left m
w tha
n the mirror every day
shar
ooded
set of t
a miniature re
room
e shelf to steady myself
&
a an
t just a
a secon
had a
nts... they
ature was on the
istress while selling his
physical blow, shar
t just b
ete erasure of
noise in t
tst
nto my waistband, hiding them und
ed the
shadows behind a stack o
oor o
the room, cutting th
as J
's oldest
e how to ride a bike whe
o the room, h
he whispered,
eppe
James," I
un, but his grip
liana,"
worry, deep grooves et
t be here. It
ow,"
d out t
ed it
know?"
oked at
face, and I saw the recog
oked
n't meet
s what is necessar
hat this i
cturing under the w
ning me n
who has a child with a
ed as if I h
about th
he
again, at the undenia
d into hi
a small, tarni
he Donov
was the
e my fathe
ore than just a word
is," he
and, his calloused palm
ome of us who reme
t just silen
loya
lty goes
ck, holsterin
k to yo
n't se
ra
ngs burning, my heart poun
room and loc
psed on
the photo
t Kiera's
at the in
ked at myself
in wa
th exhaustion and th
atigue, something
going to
ng to let th
my face, smearing them
nted a
ed a comp
going to
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