I arrived home to a dark and quiet house. I went upstairs and into
Kaden's room. He'd fallen asleep in front of the TV. I turned it off and
lifted him into his bed. I kissed him softly on the head and went into
Krissy's room.
The soft glow of her nightlight fell across her face. Her mouth was open and she was snoring . . . little tiny baby snores. I kiss her and moved on to Annie's room.
Annie was sprawled across her bed, still in her clothes. I leaned forward to give her a kiss but something caught my eye. A sizeable bruise was forming on her right arm. I gently lifted her arm and saw that the bruise when all the way around, as if someone had grabbed her. Someone with large hands. I shook her shoulder. "Annie. Annie, wake up."
She rolled over and looked at me. "Hi," she said.
"What happened to your arm?"
She looked at the bruise. "Nothing."
"Annie," I pressed. "What happened? Did your father do this to you?"
"He didn't mean to hurt my," she muttered.
I closed my eyes. "Goddamn it."
"Mom, just leave it," Annie said. "It's OK. He didn't mean it."
I kissed her. "Go back to sleep."
In our bedroom, Carter was fast asleep. I picked up a marble figurine from my dresser and hurled it at him. I struck his shoulder and he woke with a start. He looked from me to the figurine. "What you do that for?" he asked, rubbing his shoulder.
"What did you do to Annie?" I hissed.
"Nothing," he said, blinking sleepily. "I didn't do any-"
"There's a huge bruise on her arm," I said, cutting him off.
Carter closed his eyes, remembering. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he said. When his eyes reopened I could see that they were full of remorse. "I never . . .I never meant . . ." He couldn't fishing the sentence. He buried his face in his hands. I sat down on the bed and put my arms around him.
"It's OK," I said. "Just make sure it never happens again."
Carter looked at me. "It won't," he said firmly. "I can't believe I . . . she's gonna hate me."
"She's not gonna hate you. You're her Daddy." I kissed him. "But you need to apologize to her."
Carter nodded. "Do you think she's awake?"
I laughed. "She's probably sitting right outside our door, listening to every word we're saying, and praying that we're not gonna get a divorce over this."
We both looked at the door. It opened. "How did you know I was out there?" Annie asked. She's changed into an oversized nightshirt that hung down to her knees.
I shrugged and smiled. Annie walked around the Carter's side of the bed. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said, on the verge of tears.
Carter put his arms around her and held her close. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry." They stayed like that for a minute until Carter kissed her head and said, "I love you so much, butter bean."
Annie smiled. "I love you too."
"Now get to bed," I said. "Tomorrow you start the pre-algebra workbook I bought you."
Annie nodded, resigned to her fate. "OK. 'Night Mom. 'Night Dad."
"She's a good kid," Carter said. "She could try a little hard, but overall she's a good kid."
The soft glow of her nightlight fell across her face. Her mouth was open and she was snoring . . . little tiny baby snores. I kiss her and moved on to Annie's room.
Annie was sprawled across her bed, still in her clothes. I leaned forward to give her a kiss but something caught my eye. A sizeable bruise was forming on her right arm. I gently lifted her arm and saw that the bruise when all the way around, as if someone had grabbed her. Someone with large hands. I shook her shoulder. "Annie. Annie, wake up."
She rolled over and looked at me. "Hi," she said.
"What happened to your arm?"
She looked at the bruise. "Nothing."
"Annie," I pressed. "What happened? Did your father do this to you?"
"He didn't mean to hurt my," she muttered.
I closed my eyes. "Goddamn it."
"Mom, just leave it," Annie said. "It's OK. He didn't mean it."
I kissed her. "Go back to sleep."
In our bedroom, Carter was fast asleep. I picked up a marble figurine from my dresser and hurled it at him. I struck his shoulder and he woke with a start. He looked from me to the figurine. "What you do that for?" he asked, rubbing his shoulder.
"What did you do to Annie?" I hissed.
"Nothing," he said, blinking sleepily. "I didn't do any-"
"There's a huge bruise on her arm," I said, cutting him off.
Carter closed his eyes, remembering. "I didn't mean to hurt her," he said. When his eyes reopened I could see that they were full of remorse. "I never . . .I never meant . . ." He couldn't fishing the sentence. He buried his face in his hands. I sat down on the bed and put my arms around him.
"It's OK," I said. "Just make sure it never happens again."
Carter looked at me. "It won't," he said firmly. "I can't believe I . . . she's gonna hate me."
"She's not gonna hate you. You're her Daddy." I kissed him. "But you need to apologize to her."
Carter nodded. "Do you think she's awake?"
I laughed. "She's probably sitting right outside our door, listening to every word we're saying, and praying that we're not gonna get a divorce over this."
We both looked at the door. It opened. "How did you know I was out there?" Annie asked. She's changed into an oversized nightshirt that hung down to her knees.
I shrugged and smiled. Annie walked around the Carter's side of the bed. "I'm sorry, Daddy," she said, on the verge of tears.
Carter put his arms around her and held her close. "I'm so sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry." They stayed like that for a minute until Carter kissed her head and said, "I love you so much, butter bean."
Annie smiled. "I love you too."
"Now get to bed," I said. "Tomorrow you start the pre-algebra workbook I bought you."
Annie nodded, resigned to her fate. "OK. 'Night Mom. 'Night Dad."
"She's a good kid," Carter said. "She could try a little hard, but overall she's a good kid."
