Chương 3 - Một Tuần Trước Lễ Cưới

“.”

She stared at the mess.

, “Oh.”

I reached the .

She reached too.

“I can clean .”

“Don’t touch them.”

“I I can clean .”

She grabbed the edge the carved plate.

I tried to stop her.

The plate slid.

bottle cleaning solvent tipped.

I stepped backward into the spilled ink lost my footing.

I went hard.

The corner the wooden plate caught the my .

Pain shot my arm.

When I , blood was already running between my fingers.

moved.

So did .

She got to first.

“Jesus, she grabbed .”

There was red mark around her wrist where I tried to stop her from touching the plate.

took her arm.

“Are you hurt?”

I sat the floor blood running my .

second, I thought I imagined the question.

’s eyes filled tears.

“I was trying to help she came at .”

I pushed myself using the edge the table.

“She destroyed my father’s .”

“ was an accident,” .

“She picked the ink after I told her not to.”

“Because she was trying to fix the programs.”

“ what? paint roller?”

“’s called brayer,” I automatically.

Nobody heard .

was crying now.

“I I was sorry.”

I wrapped clean rag around my .

at the blood.

at .

at .

“Apologize to her.”

I honestly thought I was going to throw .

“What?”

“You grabbed her.”

“She destroyed my dad’s .”

“ was an accident.”

“She wouldn’t stop touching things after I told her to leave.”

“You scared her.”

I at .

She scared.

But underneath , I saw something else.

She gotten her answer.

She pushed.

I reacted.

chosen.

Again.

I , “Get .”

frowned.

“Claire.”

“Both you.”

whispered, “I really didn’t mean—”

“Get .”

This time my voice cracked so hard she actually stopped.

led her to the door.

course he did.

He came twenty minutes later alone.

I was at the worktable, blotting red ink one Dad’s cotton swabs.

My was wrapped gauze from the first-aid kit.

stood behind .

“You should get at.”

I didn’t answer.

He at the .

“I’m sorry about those.”

I kept working.

He walked over to my father’s framed photograph the shelf.

long time he didn’t say anything.

he sighed.

“Daniel protected you too much.”

My stopped.

He kept going.

“You know ?”

I slowly turned around.

He nodded toward the ruined .

“You act like everything connected to is untouchable. made mistake you acted like she set the building fire.”

I stared at .

“You told to apologize while I was bleeding.”

“Because you put your hands her.”

“To stop her from destroying something.”

“She didn’t know.”

“I told her.”

He tired.

Like I was exhausting .

“Your dad would not recognize the way you’re behaving right now.”

I set the cotton swab.

“Stop talking about my father.”

“I’m trying to get through to you.”

“No.”

I stood.

“You’re trying to use dead man to convince being hurt makes unreasonable.”

“ is not what I’m doing.”

“I’m calling lawyer.”

He went quiet.

I divorce the day before anger.

This time I didn’t feel angry.

I felt clear.

“I’m serious.”

He stared at .

“Claire.”

“I’m done.”

He gave short, disbelieving laugh.

“You always say when you’re angry.”

“No, I don’t.”

“You’ve left before.”

Once.

Three years earlier, while my father was the hospital after major surgery, gotten arrested drunk driving.

left the surgical waiting room because she “ nobody else.”

Dad came recovery while I was alone.

I ended things night.

Nine days later, he showed at my apartment an ulcer, bag medication an apology.

I took care .

I took .

I hated he remembered the lesson differently than I did.

To , was proof I forgiven too much.

To , was proof I always would.

“I came once,” I .

“You’ll come again.”

“No.”

His face hardened.

I turned away.

the table was the small wooden monogram block Dad carved my eighteenth birthday.

picked .

I heard the movement turned.

“Put .”

He at the initials.

C.B.

at .

“You keep treating every object this room like matters more than our marriage.”

“Put .”

“You threaten divorce. You tear programs. You throw people .”

“.”

“ you expect to just stand here.”

He slammed the block against the edge the heavy steel table.

split straight through the middle.

The sound wasn’t loud.

almost made worse.

One half hit the floor.

The other stayed his .

Neither us moved.

He stared at what he done.

His face changed immediately.

“Claire—”