“No way… it can’t be! The bad ones always
stick around, she couldn’t be dead!”
He kept saying “no way,” like he was trying to
convince himself.
I stood up, confused. “Mom!”
But the Mom in the picture wouldn’t smile
back at me.
My uncle suddenly pointed at me, saying,
“That’s not her!”
His eyes were bloodshot, and he was shaking
く
I didn’t understand.
He saw Mom’s tombstone, so why didn’t he
believe she was gone?
Did adults like to lie to themselves?
Tiffany saw the tombstone and went white as
a ghost.
She started yelling, “If she’s dead, what about my kidney? She’s faking! She has to be!”
Grandma hugged her, but she pushed her
away and tried to get up. “I’m digging up that
grave, there’s no body in there! It’s all a
trick!”
My uncle looked at her, his voice cold. “Are
く
He looked mean, like he wanted to hurt her.
Tiffany stopped, like she’d never seen him like
that before.
I then heard someone yelling, “Abigail!
Abigail!”
It was Dad!
“Dad!”
I ran as fast as I could.
Dad squeezed me so hard that it almost hurt.
He took a few deep breaths, like he was
making sure it wasn’t a dream, and let go.
He saw the cut on my head and asked my
uncle, “What happened? David, you better
talk!”
My uncle stood in front of Mom’s tombstone
like a statue, and didn’t move or say a thing.
Dad looked me up and down. “Did they hurt
you? Are you hurt anywhere else?”
I said, “She broke my phone! Mom gave it to
me!”
Dad still looked scared. “It’s okay, as long as
you’re home.”
I started to cry. “But it had Mom’s videos, her
pictures, and the voice recordings! I can’t
hear them anymore! Dad! I can’t see Mom!”
Dad kissed my forehead. “I backed them all
<
I wiped my tears.
Dad was here, and no one would hurt me.
I wiped Dad’s sweat. “I won’t go with anyone else, I’m sorry, I’m just a dummy, and I made
you worry.”
Dad was heartbroken. “It’s my fault for being
busy and letting you walk home alone.
My uncle moved. He grabbed Dad’s shirt.
“What did you do to Sarah? How could she
die! How could she die!”
He yelled, almost screaming, “I let her live
with you, how could she die?!”
Dad punched him. “Live with us? You think
you gave us something good?”
“She went through all that because of you!”
My uncle wiped his mouth and started
fighting Dad.
I screamed, “Don’t hurt Dad!”
They didn’t care, and knocked me to the
ground.
I fell and tried to stand up.
I couldn’t.
Before I passed out, I saw my uncle running
to me, crying. “Abigail! Abigail!”
I woke up with Dad beside me.
“Abigail, are you okay? I’m getting the
I asked, “Are they in jail?”
Dad shook his head. “They got a warning,
since you’re related, the cops can’t do
anything.”
I felt sad.
Dad sighed, looking sad.
I said, “I found Mom’s diary, and they didn’t
like her.”
Dad nodded. “I know, but we loved her.”
My uncle walked to the door.
He asked Dad, “How did she look at the end?
Did she suffer? Did she feel pain?”
Dad didn’t answer.
My uncle looked at me, tears in his eyes.
Before he could talk, Dad yelled, “Get out!
“We were doing better, and you showed up!
“Abigail’s little, but not stupid, and it hurts.
her!”
Dad dragged my uncle out the door.
My uncle didn’t fight it.
Dad slammed the door, and my uncle looked
at me through the glass.
I turned around and faced away from him.
Г
- hated him.
He was gone the next day.
My uncle walked in with a ton of bags filled
with toys, dolls, and dresses. The room was
filled with the gifts.
Dad told him to leave.
My uncle looked at me. “Abigail, I’m sorry for
everything, and I shouldn’t have done that to
you.”
He looked at my head. “Does it hurt?”
I didn’t answer.
He said he fixed the phone.
Г
He even put the diary back together.
I asked, “Did you read it?”
My uncle started shaking again.
That wasn’t enough.
How did that compare to Mom’s pain?
I opened the diary. “David said he would
rather I didn’t return. That way, Tiffany could
be happy.”
“Tiffany fell, and David believed her, and told
me to die.”
“Tiffany’s sick, and Mom wants me to give
her my kidney, but I don’t want to.”
“Mom and Dad like me now. But they want
my kidney and they don’t love me.”
“Tiffany passed out and Mom can’t wait
anymore. If I don’t donate, she’ll drop me.”
“Tiffany said sorry and wanted to get my
kidney.”
“Dad crashed his car, and it’s my fault.”
