Chapter 3
Kaia was walking out of the school with her classmates to go to the waiting school bus by the curb. Before she got a chance to get on the bus, she heard a whistle from her left.
"Oh Kaia Calaway."
Kaia saw her father standing by his truck, hands in his jeans pockets.
"Hey, kiddo. Where ya goin'? Just gonna leave me stranded on this sidewalk?"
Kaia's smile grew wide as she took off running towards her dad. Mark stepped away from the front of the truck and stood in the middle of the pavement.
"Daddy! You're here!"
Mark caught Kaia in his arms, hugging her close. "Oh my goodness. I missed you."
"I missed you too, Daddy."
"There's no way you missed me that much."
"Yes, I did."
Kaia looked at her father. "I thought you were at work."
"Took off early so I could come and get you. Plus, I had an idea. What do you think of me treating you to an ice cream? Then maybe a visit to park before we head home?"
"Yeah!"
"All right. Let's get going."
-After their trip to the ice cream parlor, Mark decided to take Kaia to the park to play for a while before heading home.
"So, what happened at school today," Mark asked as they were walking by the duck pond.
"I learned a new joke."
"You did?"
'Mmm-hmm."
"How does it go?"
"Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Boo."
"Boo who?"
"Don't cry, Daddy. It's only a joke."
Mark chuckled. "Okay. I have one. Knock knock."
"Who's there?"
"Interrupting cow."
"Interrupt…"
"Mooooo."
Kaia laughed. "That's funny."
"Your joke was funny too. By the way, how did you do on your spelling test?"
"I got an A-."
"Hey. Great job, Kaia. I'm proud of you."
"Thank you."
"So, what else happened today?"
"I met a new girl in my school."
"Really? What's her name?"
"Alyssa Scott."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah. She moved here with her dad from Tampa, Florida."
"What a coincidence. Her father works with me at the shop. Chris Scott. Where at the school did you meet her?"
"Between the tires and the swings."
"Hmm. Is she nice?"
"Uh-huh. Only…."
Mark eyed his daughter when she went silent. "Kaia? Honey?"
"Only…Alyssa lies."
"Is that so? Well, what does she lie about?"
"Well….she told me not to tell."
"Did it sound like she was in trouble?"
Kaia nodded. Mark found a nearby bench and led Kaia over to sit down.
"Kaia, if you feel that somebody is in trouble, it's okay to tell."
"She showed me the bruises on her arms and her legs."
"Bruises? Did she fall?"
"No. She said her father hurts her. Sometimes with a leather belt. Alyssa lies to the classroom, to the teachers because she feels nobody can help her."
"That's awful. Wait a minute. Her father told me today that the reason why they moved from Tampa was cause her mother was abusing her."
"Her mother? But, daddy, her mother died giving birth to her."
Mark thought for a moment in silence. "Is that what she said?"
"Yes. She never knew her mother and she even told me that when she would ask her father to tell her about her mother he would get angry and hit her."
Mark's face shown an angry expression as he looked out across the duck pond.
"Daddy?"
Mark didn't reply.
"Daddy?"
Mark shook himself out of his thoughts. "What? Huh?"
"Are you angry?"
"Sorry, Kaia. Just thinking."
"Why are your hands closed?"
He looked down. His hands had closed into fists without him realizing it. He opened his hands and rested them on his lap.
"Sorry, sweetie."
"Did I say something wrong?"
"No, Kaia. You didn't. Come on. Let's go home."