“Why did you punch Jack, Rem?” I wait until we’re fully around the block before I ask her the question the school practically refused to answer.
Remi scrunches up her nose. “Jack pushed me. He pushed me three times!”
Okay, fair.I probably would have punched him too.
“But why didn’t you use your words?” I askbecause parenting…
“I did! I told him to stop, but he didn’t listen!” The glower on her face tells me she’d hit him again just thinking about it. I’m about to suggest that she should’ve told a teacher at that point when she continues, “And then he pushed Grace and she fell. So I punched him.” She shrugs, with an air of nonchalance I can only gape at. “He thought it was funny, so I punched him again. And then he was sorry.”
Jesus.
“Are you mad at me?” She looks up, her big round eyes full of genuine worry, and I sigh, moving us to the corner of the sidewalk, out of people’s way before crouching down to her level.
“No,” I admit. As frustrated as I am with the situation, I’m not really mad at her.Where the hell were the teachers when all of this was going down?“I’m proud of you for defending yourself and your friend, but next time I need you to do it with your words—or tell an adult. No fists.” I shoot her a look that says I’m serious.
She rolls her eyes, a perfect mirror of my own signature move.With her blonde hair and dark eyes, she may look nothing like me, but she sure has my attitude.
“Remi,” I warn.
“Fine,” she bites out.
“And I need you to apologize to Jack tomorrow morning when you see him.”
“But that’s not fair!”
My eyes narrow, and her mouth snaps shut. Temper flaring, she crosses her arms again, shooting me a wicked little glare.If looks could kill…
“Fine,” she huffs out in defeat, a pout forming on her lips.
“Okay.” I twist one of her long blonde curls with my finger before she swats my hand away. She’s as much of a fan of physical touch as I am, though she is the exception. I just want to squish her given any opportunity.
“Well,” I say, checking the time on my phone. “We still have an hour before Doctor Haven. Do you want to get some ice cream?”
I’ve done my parenting duty, demanded reparations, and now—yeah, I’m going to reward my daughter for not taking some boy’s shit lying down.
“Cookie dough?” she asks, bouncing up and down excitedly. Irritation falling away at the drop of a hat. I wish I could get over things that quickly…
“You got it.”
5
FRACTURED
BRIAR
Now
There’s a new nurse at Doctor Haven’s office today. I have to cover my mouth with my hands, hiding my smile when she attempts to soften up my daughter’s scowl with a few jokes. They’re funny and probably would have a normal child laughing, but not Remi.
“I’m Nurse Holly.”
“Hi Nurse Holly,” I say in greeting when Remi just glares at her.
“Remi, right?” She checks the chart quickly to be sure. “I’ve got a question for you. Why did the banana go to the doctor?”
Remi says nothing in response, and I hold back a laugh at the growing look of absolute disdain on my daughter’s face.
“He wasn’t peeling very well!” Nurse Holly throws up her arms on the punch line, but my almost-four-year-old just shoots daggers at her.
