Prisca had Neriah pinned flat against the living-room rug when I walked through the front door.
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Chapter 25 / 27
Chapter 25 - NERIAH BECOMES A MOTHER
Neriah became a mother at thirty-four.
A daughter.
Elise.
When Elise was six, she lied about breaking a lamp.
Ordinary child lie.
Neriah knew.
“How?”
“I saw you.”
Elise cried.
“Are you mad?”
“Yes.”
“Are you gonna hold me down?”
The room stopped.
Neriah called me afterward.
“Dad.”
“What?”
“She asked if I would hold her down.”
My chest tightened.
“Why does she know?”
“She heard a family story from a cousin.”
“Are you okay?”
“No.”
“What did you do?”
“I told her I would never use my body to make her say something.”
“Good.”
“Then I made her help clean the lamp mess.”
“Also good.”
Neriah laughed through tears.
Boundaries.
Consequences.
No terror.
May you like
The next generation does not need perfection.
Only different choices.
