I love them, I genuinely do, but I am so angry at them for their willful ignorance.
They now see Liam's true colors and don't know how to handle who he is, which only causes more conflict between them. The arguing, screaming, and discomfort in the air are now nonstop in this house.
Most days, I wish I could take Natty and get far away from all of them. I wish I could give her the comfort and quiet life that neither of us has ever been granted but very well deserves.
I remember a time when life with my family was some version of what most would consider normal. There was a time when happiness would visit here, but that happiness rarely appears since Natty's birth brought out the worst in Liam. He sucked it out like the leach that he is.
Unfortunately, Natty doesn't have many happy memories that she can recall. Of all the things I wish I could change about my life, that's got to be the main one. I wish I could help to show her a brighter life.
"You've drained us dry, Liam! We have nothing left to give you!" My mom screams in his ear as she swats at his back.
Liam releases his hold on my dad and swings around, slapping our mother across the face and knocking her to the floor. My dad is quick to respond and pounces Liam to the ground.
The dumb part of me wants to swoop in and attempt to help them—at least check to see if my mom is okay—but I can't. I know, all too well, what happens when you get in Liam's way.
I can't even watch it anymore. I need to find Natty and get her out of here.
Spinning on my heels, I run frantically searching for Natty. When Liam's violence first began to pour over onto them, instead of strictly just onto me, I made Natty promise me that she would run and hide every time he got out of hand. No matter what she heard, she was to hide until I could find her. We spent a weekend going through the house and property to find spots where she could fit in. She's almost eleven now, but she's still tiny and can fit herself into some unassuming places that easily camouflage her.
The only downside is that I never know which spot she will be in, and it sometimes takes me a while to find her.
I run up the stairs, taking them two at a time. As I swing around the railing at the top and begin running the long hallway, I hear the yelling downstairs start to subside. I gulp. That can either be a good thing or a bad thing.
Liam could be leaving now. Or…
"Natty!" I whisper-shout into the hall as I run toward her bedroom door.
I open her door and instantly notice that nothing looks out of place, but I know better. If she had gone to another spot on the property, I would have heard the screen door to the outside shut. She's in here. I can feel it.
"Natty, it's me. It's okay." I whisper.
Peering around her room, I notice a slight movement under her tower of stuffed animals in the corner. It's like a stuffed animal jail, basically, that my dad built for me and that I gave to her. The movement was so subtle that I would have missed it if I had not been paying attention.
I walk up to it and begin frantically removing the animals. I need to get to her.
I finally remove enough to where I can see her curled up into a ball in the corner, and her body is shaking with sobs.
"Natty,"
She glances up at me, and my heart breaks a little more once her eyes meet mine. Her green eyes are bloodshot. Her puffy red cheeks are stained with tears, and she's wearing a look of despair that I am all too familiar with.
She stands up and slowly climbs through the rope bars. As she does, she falls to the floor at my feet. I swoop in next to her, pulling her into me.
I want to rush her, tell her we need to hurry and leave before he has the chance to come looking for us, but I know this feeling. I've lived this feeling, and I've lived through it alone. I can't let her feel alone.
I hold her there for a few minutes, not speaking, just wiping her tears away as they fall.
We don't always need words to feel comforted. Sometimes, we need to know that someone else has us and is willing to walk through the darkness with us so that we aren't alone.
I'llalwayshave her.
"I hate him." She says, her voice so soft, but the pain she feels inside penetrates each word.
I nod against her shoulder. "I know. I do, too."
She shakes her head, gently pulls out of my grasp, and stands to her feet.
I stand next to her and put my hands on her shoulders as I try to get her to look at me.
