“Marly, of course.”
“Did you get in trouble?”
“I got suspended from school because it was on their property.”
“And your parents?”
“I was grounded for about two hours until they found out what Marly was doing to Zoey.”
“Did the bullying stop after that?”
“Marly never spoke to Zoey again.”
“What grade were they in?”
“Zoey was in sixth grade.”
“Did Marly switch schools?”
“No.”
“She didn’t talk to her for eight years?” I ask as I take her hand, helping her toward the waiting tub.
“Nope. Marly was too scared of me to even risk upsetting Zoey again.”
“I definitely got myself a tough girl.”
“Not anymore, though,” she says as she lifts a foot and holds on to my hand as she climbs into the tub. She hisses as she dunks her foot into the hot water. “It’s no fun at my age to be this busted up.”
“It doesn’t get easier as you get older. At my age, I’m wrecked for days.”
“When was the last time you were hit?”
I hold on to her until she’s settled into the water. “It’s been a long time. I think I’d just gotten out of the service and had a huge attitude problem.”
“Shocker,” she says as she pulls her knees toward her chest and rests her chin on top. “This feels good.”
“You have blood in your hair.” I rub the stiff ends between my fingers. “It needs to be washed.”
“I’m too tired.”
“I’ll do it,” I tell her. “Be right back.”
She reaches out and grabs my hand. “Where are you going?”
“To grab a cup.”
“Oh,” she says, letting her hand slip away from mine.
I rush out of the bathroom and head to the kitchen, not wanting to leave her alone for long.
Zoey looks up from the pot of soup she’s already started. “What’s wrong?”
“I need a cup to wash her hair.”
Zoey’s eyebrows rise. “Want me to do it?”
I shake my head and grab a clean cup from the counter near the sink. “No. I got it. She was telling me about Marly.”
