As My Daughter Burned, He Lit Fireworks for Her

re was alwa

ching out her hand, her mouth moving, but no sound came out. And Elinor was run

d in sweat. The bedroom was pitch black,

t. A rustling in

n the nightstand. Her fingers brushed the e

m door cre

headboard, her heart in her throat

ri

lamp. He was carrying three large shopping bags,

in?" Elinor deman

ger. "A few thousand dollars made the s

He walked to the closet and pulled it open, lookin

e asked, turning

bed. She shoved him hard in the chest. "G

"Where is Cece, Elinor? I bought her things."

the pink tissue paper poking out

escended ove

from her throat, raw and ragged. "She's dead!

sion hardened.

ly, pink dress. He shoved it into Elinor's ha

, expensive. It was the kind of dress Cece woul

rought her foot down on it, grinding the hee

boxes. She picked up a stuffed unicorn and ripped its head off, t

he yelled, her voice breaking. "You

y the gifts. His jaw was tight, his eye

m, surrounded by torn fabric and broken toys, her chest heaving. Her

's pho

ringtone filled the s

ket. He looked at the screen, then a

red it.

ugh the speaker. "Kiana had a nightmar

he wife who was staring at him with eyes tha

ight there

You need to cool off. I'll be back

of the bedroom. The fro

a high, keening sound that didn't sound like her. It was the

The room tilted sideways. The

dpost, but her hand closed

ner of the wooden dresser on the way down.

stickiness spreading beneath her head. She

er was a flash of pink fabric on the floor, and a