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I spent the rest of the day feeling like the piece of shit he wanted me to feel like. Focusing only on what he said to me.
“They were my mom’s.”
9
AIDEN
Then: Almost twelve-years-old
“Get out of here, you little shit!” Mr. Byron shouted, slamming his fists down on the dining room table near five-year-old Nathan, making Bailey jump out of her skin.
I tried not to let it get to me, needing to stay strong for her. It was the only thing I had to offer. It was always the only thing I had to give her.
No one wanted us.
No one loved us.
No one protected us.
All we had was each other.
I hugged her, bringing her closer to my body.
Harder.
Tighter.
Firmer.
Needing to have her heartbeat next time to mine. It was the only time I knew we were alive.
She struggled to breathe.
To see.
To feel me against her.
“Bailey, please … it’s going to be alright.”
She cried, breaking apart in my arms.
“Boy, don’t make me tell you again! Get the fuck out of my sight, before I show you who’s boss around here!”
“Byron! Just leave—”
“You stupid bitch! Did I tell you to move? Did I give you permission to say a damn thing?”
“Byron, please calm down,” his wife, Carly, whimpered.
I knew he wouldn’t grant her any mercy, he never granted anyone mercy. Not even innocent kids.
We sank back further into the closet we were hiding in together. All the way back in the darkness shielded by stale-smelling clothes and coats, where no one could find us. It had become our favorite hiding spot, pretending we were the kids in the wardrobe from the book The Chronicles of Narnia, we read in Mrs. Jenner’s fifth grade class. Praying to be transported anywhere but here when Mr. Byron drank too much. The second he started yelling and hitting anyone in his sight.
We hated him.
The man was an asshole who was never nice to any of us. All he did was sit on his lazy ass, day in and day out, barking orders at his wife with a twelve pack of beer always close by his side.
The house was old and falling apart and smelled like dirty socks and moldy food all the time. We never understood why they kept taking in more kids if he didn’t want us there to begin with.
