Page 3 of Her Fearless Warrior

“Never. No matter how mad he’s gotten, he has never hit me,” she lied.

“I noticed that you’re walking slowly, and you’re favoring your right side. Did you injure yourself?”

Please tell him, Mom. Please tell him. Please tell him.

“I worked out too hard yesterday during my exercise class at the gym. It usually takes me a day or two to recover.”

Linc hit the stair railing in frustration.

“Ma’am, is somebody else in the house? What made that sound?”

“It’s just our dog. He’s afraid of strangers, so he hides upstairs whenever somebody new comes over.”

“Mrs. Edison, if your husband hurts you, we can help. Now is the time to tell us. We can protect you.”

“I’ve read stories about what happens when the husband is taken away for the night. Then he makes bail, and he’s angrier than ever. Why would a smart woman ever tell the police anything?”

“There are shelters that are totally private. You would be safe,” the tall police officer said.

“Look around this house. Like I would ever subject my boy to a shelter. This is his home. It is my home. My husband is a good provider, and he has never hurt me.”

“Mrs. Edison, I’ve been called out on almost one hundred of these kinds of cases. Ninety percent of them, the husband or boyfriend escalates, and the woman ends up in the hospital.”

“I told you, my husband has never hurt me. Why won’t you believe me?”

“And usually,” the policeman continued, like she hadn’t even said anything, “the husband or boyfriend will eventually start hitting the kids. Is that what you want for your son?”

His mom was crying now. “How many times do I have to tell you he’s not violent?”

“Is that what you want me to write in your statement? He has never hurt you?”

“Yes, write that down. I’ll sign it.”

Linc felt a tear trickle down his cheek.

He went back to his bedroom. He put on his earphones and cranked up the music to its highest volume and went back to doing his math homework.

* * *

He’d finished his math assignment and took out his spelling homework. He knew some kids had their parents help them, but most of the time, his mother was too sick to help him. Linc knew what too sick meant. Why had his mother lied to the police?

He looked down and saw water on his paper. He scrubbed his face with the sleeve of his Star Wars pajamas and started concentrating on the words in front of him.

“You little shit!”

He was shoved so hard that he flew off his chair, and his headphones came off.

“It was you!” His father kicked him in his side. Linc cried out.

“Don’t hurt him,” his mother begged. She grabbed at his dad’s arm and he wrenched away from her, causing her to stumble. As she gripped Linc’s dad’s arm, Linc saw his dad clench both of his hands into fists and he hit her so hard, in the face this time, that she fell down. Linc thought he’d killed her until she moaned.

Linc’s dad kicked him really hard in his butt. “Get up,” he yelled. “I’m not done with you.”

Linc pushed up from the floor, listening to his mother’s whimpers. When he was on his feet, his father grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

“I’m a good father to you. Do you hear me? I make sure you can live like a little fucking prince,” he snarled.

Linc was dizzy and having trouble understanding what his dad was saying.