"Run to Mommy, baby," Alexander taunted. "You are a waste. Do what you
want. I have tried to be a good father to you, but everything I do for you,
you just throw it back in my face."
"Just leave me alone, Alexander. I don't care what you think of me."
"Just remember your punishment. Also, you'd better tell Heather Miller that she isn't welcome in my home anymore after her rudeness to my son."
Lita rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
Alexander lay staring at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and held it for as long as he could before exhaling.
Irene lay silently next to him. She could feel his tenseness and knew a battle was raging within him to keep his temper in check. She was so tired, not physically, but mentally. She knew she couldn't take much more; at any moment she would snap and that would be the end. Her nerves were a twisted and mangled mass of frustrations. But she still clung to one hope. The hope being that the counselor would shed some light on how she could help her husband and how they could become a normal family. But still, she was afraid to get her hopes too high. Every time she did, Alexander had a way of pulling the rug out from under her. Still, she had to cling to the hope.
Lita stared at the crumpled pass she held in her hands. She wondered why Mrs. Moseman wanted to see her. She sat on the bench outside of Mrs. Moseman's office, nervously picking at a fingernail.
The office door opened and an attractive, young woman peered out. "Lita Johnson?" she asked.
Lita nodded.
"Come in, please." She held the door.
Lita nervously waited as the woman closed the door, then motioned her to a chair.
"You're probably wondering why I asked to see you this morning," she said as she observed Lita's uneasiness.
"Is it because of what happened in math class yesterday?"
"No," she quickly answered, "but I was surprised. You have never caused a problem for anyone before."
"I'm just going through something right now." She averted her gaze from Mrs. Moseman's friendly eyes.
"That's why I called you in here, Lita. A friend of yours is very concerned about you and thought I may be able to help you." Her voice was kind.
Lita squirmed in her seat. "That's all right. It's nothing serious." She took a deep breath. "So who asked you to talk to me?"
"It doesn't really matter."
"It had to be Heather Miller."
Mrs. Moseman frowned. "I told her I wouldn't divulge her name. She is very worried about you, Lita, and she doesn't want you to think she's causing you more trouble by coming to me."
"Oh, I'm not upset with her," Lita quickly said. "But I wish she hadn't come to you."
Mrs. Moseman seated herself at her desk. "Would you like to talk about anything in particular, Lita?"
She shrugged.
"How's your home life?"
She sighed. "Oh, probably the same as everybody else's." She stared at the woman. "What did Heather tell you?"
The woman was thoughtful for a moment. "I understand that your parents are having some difficulties."
"Not my mom." She dropped her eyes.
"Your stepfather, then?"
Lita stood up and walked over to the window. She stared out at the parking lot for a few seconds, and then turned to Mrs. Moseman. "My stepfather is always beating on my mom." Her voice was quiet. "A couple of nights ago he broke my mom's arm." Tears filled her eyes.
Mrs. Moseman walked over to Lita and put a friendly arm around her shoulder. "I think I'll have your sister join us."
Lita nodded.
Irene gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked pale, so she added more blush to her thin cheeks. She noticed how thin she was becoming. Her eyes no longer held their shiny gleam; now they looked tired and vacant. The counseling had to work. She needed to hold on to something. She selected a skirt that was a favorite of Alexander's and a plain low-cut blouse. She dabbed some perfume behind her ears, then carefully applied her lipstick. She frowned at her appearance. If it wasn't for her cast, she would look almost pretty, she thought. Now all she had to do was wait for Alexander to pick her up.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked as she walked into Mrs. Moseman's office.
"I just wanted to talk to you both, Serena," the counselor said.
"Sure." She looked questioningly at the woman. "Is everything all right, Lita?" she asked as she walked over to the window where Lita was still standing.
"I told her about Alexander," Lita said in a low voice.
Mrs. Moseman apparently noticed the fear that was evident in Serena 's eyes. "Everything will be fine," she assured her. "Lita told me that your stepfather broke your mother's arm."
Serena nodded.
"Has he abused you girls in any way?"
Serena and Lita looked at each other. "He used to smack us around, but now he only makes threats," Serena finally said.
"How about your mother?"
"I told you my mom never abuses us," Lita said.
"No, Mom is very good to us. In fact, she takes a lot to protect us," Serena explained.
Mrs. Moseman frowned. "Has he ever hurt your mother in front of you girls?"
"Yes," Serena whispered.
"Your mother doesn't have to put up with it. There is help available."
"They're going to a counselor today," Lita said.
"Has your mother ever pressed charges?"
"No, but a few years ago we stayed in a shelter for a while," Serena explained. "When we went back home, things were okay for a while, but then Alexander, my stepfather, started in again."
Mrs. Moseman's voice was sympathetic. "Please let me know how things are going at home. And please notify me immediately if your stepfather touches either of you girls." She smiled at them. "I only want to help you."
"Just leave me alone, Alexander. I don't care what you think of me."
"Just remember your punishment. Also, you'd better tell Heather Miller that she isn't welcome in my home anymore after her rudeness to my son."
Lita rolled her eyes. "Whatever."
Alexander lay staring at the ceiling. He took a deep breath and held it for as long as he could before exhaling.
Irene lay silently next to him. She could feel his tenseness and knew a battle was raging within him to keep his temper in check. She was so tired, not physically, but mentally. She knew she couldn't take much more; at any moment she would snap and that would be the end. Her nerves were a twisted and mangled mass of frustrations. But she still clung to one hope. The hope being that the counselor would shed some light on how she could help her husband and how they could become a normal family. But still, she was afraid to get her hopes too high. Every time she did, Alexander had a way of pulling the rug out from under her. Still, she had to cling to the hope.
Lita stared at the crumpled pass she held in her hands. She wondered why Mrs. Moseman wanted to see her. She sat on the bench outside of Mrs. Moseman's office, nervously picking at a fingernail.
The office door opened and an attractive, young woman peered out. "Lita Johnson?" she asked.
Lita nodded.
"Come in, please." She held the door.
Lita nervously waited as the woman closed the door, then motioned her to a chair.
"You're probably wondering why I asked to see you this morning," she said as she observed Lita's uneasiness.
"Is it because of what happened in math class yesterday?"
"No," she quickly answered, "but I was surprised. You have never caused a problem for anyone before."
"I'm just going through something right now." She averted her gaze from Mrs. Moseman's friendly eyes.
"That's why I called you in here, Lita. A friend of yours is very concerned about you and thought I may be able to help you." Her voice was kind.
Lita squirmed in her seat. "That's all right. It's nothing serious." She took a deep breath. "So who asked you to talk to me?"
"It doesn't really matter."
"It had to be Heather Miller."
Mrs. Moseman frowned. "I told her I wouldn't divulge her name. She is very worried about you, Lita, and she doesn't want you to think she's causing you more trouble by coming to me."
"Oh, I'm not upset with her," Lita quickly said. "But I wish she hadn't come to you."
Mrs. Moseman seated herself at her desk. "Would you like to talk about anything in particular, Lita?"
She shrugged.
"How's your home life?"
She sighed. "Oh, probably the same as everybody else's." She stared at the woman. "What did Heather tell you?"
The woman was thoughtful for a moment. "I understand that your parents are having some difficulties."
"Not my mom." She dropped her eyes.
"Your stepfather, then?"
Lita stood up and walked over to the window. She stared out at the parking lot for a few seconds, and then turned to Mrs. Moseman. "My stepfather is always beating on my mom." Her voice was quiet. "A couple of nights ago he broke my mom's arm." Tears filled her eyes.
Mrs. Moseman walked over to Lita and put a friendly arm around her shoulder. "I think I'll have your sister join us."
Lita nodded.
Irene gazed at her reflection in the full-length mirror. She looked pale, so she added more blush to her thin cheeks. She noticed how thin she was becoming. Her eyes no longer held their shiny gleam; now they looked tired and vacant. The counseling had to work. She needed to hold on to something. She selected a skirt that was a favorite of Alexander's and a plain low-cut blouse. She dabbed some perfume behind her ears, then carefully applied her lipstick. She frowned at her appearance. If it wasn't for her cast, she would look almost pretty, she thought. Now all she had to do was wait for Alexander to pick her up.
"What's wrong?" Serena asked as she walked into Mrs. Moseman's office.
"I just wanted to talk to you both, Serena," the counselor said.
"Sure." She looked questioningly at the woman. "Is everything all right, Lita?" she asked as she walked over to the window where Lita was still standing.
"I told her about Alexander," Lita said in a low voice.
Mrs. Moseman apparently noticed the fear that was evident in Serena 's eyes. "Everything will be fine," she assured her. "Lita told me that your stepfather broke your mother's arm."
Serena nodded.
"Has he abused you girls in any way?"
Serena and Lita looked at each other. "He used to smack us around, but now he only makes threats," Serena finally said.
"How about your mother?"
"I told you my mom never abuses us," Lita said.
"No, Mom is very good to us. In fact, she takes a lot to protect us," Serena explained.
Mrs. Moseman frowned. "Has he ever hurt your mother in front of you girls?"
"Yes," Serena whispered.
"Your mother doesn't have to put up with it. There is help available."
"They're going to a counselor today," Lita said.
"Has your mother ever pressed charges?"
"No, but a few years ago we stayed in a shelter for a while," Serena explained. "When we went back home, things were okay for a while, but then Alexander, my stepfather, started in again."
Mrs. Moseman's voice was sympathetic. "Please let me know how things are going at home. And please notify me immediately if your stepfather touches either of you girls." She smiled at them. "I only want to help you."