She Framed Me As Unfit So I’ll See Her In Court Chapter 33
Warm light shone from one window after another, and now and then came the sound of television or children laughing.
My mother squeezed my hand.
“Why’d you stop?”
I looked away and linked my arm through hers.
“Nothing. Let’s go home.”
The key had barely gone into the lock when the door opened from the inside.
“Mommy!”
Maya flew into my arms hard enough to make me step back half a pace.
I held her tightly and buried my face in her soft hair. The familiar scent of her shampoo made my eyes burn.
On the table sat the macaroni coated in thick, creamy cheese, with a dish of the crispy browned edges my mother had intentionally baked a little extra for me.
“Sit down, quick. It won’t taste as good cold,” she urged.
Maya glued herself to my side, busy telling me little stories about school. My mother kept adding food to my plate while complaining that I’d gotten too thin.
I scooped up a forkful of macaroni.
The cheese smelled rich and warm. The steam blurred my vision.
When I swallowed, my throat tightened painfully.
I stopped for a few seconds, then picked up my fork again and ate it all slowly, one bite at a time.
This time, the lights were on.
There was hot food on the table.
And my family was sitting right across from me.