That
night after dinner Hoss and Joe were playing a game of checkers,
while Ben read, and Adam and Allie sat on the settee. Ben couldn't
help but watch as Adam wrapped Allie's wrist. So lovingly and
carefully. He did it slow so that she would feel no pain. The sight
was amazing to Ben. The two of them had grown so close to each other
that if you didn't know it you'd never guess they had met each other
just days before. They viewed each other with such love and such
pride that it made Ben proud.
Over the past few days Adam had
become a completely different person. He had a new look on his face.
A look of fulfillment.
Almost as if there had been a hole in his
life and Allie filled it.
"Could you roll up you sleeve," he requested, "I don't want this to fall off again tonight."
She began to pull the sleeve of her shirt up.
"Wait." Adam insisted.
He grabbed her hand. There was the beginning of a scar. He looked at it for a quick moment. Then he pulled the sleeve up further to reveal the entire marking. It covered most of her arm. He was stunned to see a scar of that size on his daughter's arm. He drew in a deep breath and swallowed.
"Sweetheart," he calmly said, "what happened to your arm."
By this point everyone was focused on her arm.
"Nothing. It's fine."
She jerked her sleeve down over the scar. And then avoided looking at her Dad's face.
"Allie Elizabeth." he said in a stern voice.
He was now beginning to sound like his father. But, the sternness would not stick. He was more concerned than anything and it showed all over his face. Allie peered up into his father's eyes. There were tears streaming down her face.
"He would hit me, Dad."
"Sweetheart, who?"
"My Grandfather. He would drink and then he would hit me."
She scooted closer to her father.
"One night, right after Ma died, he came home really drunk. I tried to hide from him but he came into my room. I can't remember
exactly what happened. He was hitting me and yelling. And then at one point he set my arm on fire."
Adam didn't like her getting that upset. So, he took her to her room and put her to bed.
As she slipped down into the ice cold sheets Adam told her not to worry.
"I won't let anybody hurt you, ever again."
The next morning Adam slept in late. He had been up all night worrying about Allie. Worrying that her Grandfather would come and try taking her away from him. He worried so much that he became anxious. He jumped up out of his bed and ran to Allie's room. He quickly swung the door open and found himself staring at an empty bed. He stepped further into the room. She wasn't there. Adam immediately thought the worst.
"Allie," he yelled, "Sweetheart!"
Swiftly he turned and bolted down the stairs. When he got to the bottom of he stairs he came to a sudden halt. There she was standing next to her Grandpa. Plates with eggs and bacon sat on the table in front of them.
"Dad, what's wrong?"
Adam was trying to catch his breath. Then he rubbed his face and sat down in the chair.
"Nothing Sweetheart," he insisted, "I just had a bad dream, that's all."
Whatever thoughts were running through his mind had frightened him and his father knew it.
