Chapter 2

2

I grabbed my purse and ran. Mark came with me, all worried.

He pulled up in his black Hummer. I got in the passenger seat without thinking.

Then I saw it.

A picture of Carol with the caption: "Sweetheart's Special Seat."

Mark saw me looking at it, his face froze, and he ripped it off, panicked.

He thought I was going to lose it like before, but I just said, "Let's go. Lily's waiting."

Mark studied my face for a long time, then his lips tightened in a line.

I thought about the way he'd carefully folded the sticker and stuffed it in his pocket, and I felt sick to my stomach. Eight years wasted.

We got to the principal's office, and this little blonde kid was bawling his eyes out.

Lily stood there with messy pigtails and heaving shoulders, crying silently.

That boy was Carol's kid, Timmy.

Mark, being tall and quick, rushed into the office, basically blocking me.

Lily saw Mark and lit up, then went to hug him.

But Timmy got there first, throwing himself into Mark's arms.

Mark paused, then picked Timmy up and started comforting him.

I clenched my fists and scooped up my baby girl.

Timmy wrapped his arms around Mark's neck and whined. "Lily tried to take my cookies! That's why I hit her!"

"You're lying! You stole mine!"

They started yelling again.

Mark rubbed his temples. "Is there any video?"

"Yes, there's video. It was just fixed!"

While the staff searched for footage, Timmy looked around, his face pale.

Carol burst in, marched right up to Timmy, and smacked him on the butt. "Don't you ever hit a girl! I'm a girl, and people hit me. It's not right."

"You need to be kind and generous with others!"

Tears trembled on Carol's cheeks, making her look so beautiful and tragic.

Mark hugged them both. "I promised I'd always protect you. No one's going to hurt you."

I apologized to the teacher and led Lily out, covering her eyes.

Warm tears soaked my hand as Lily hiccuped, "Mommy, I hate... Daddy."

"Me too."

That night, Mark came home early with a bowl of clam chowder.

"I got this just for you guys. Here." Then he went to shower.

Lily perked up at the smell. I opened the plastic lid when Mark's phone dinged.

A message from Carol: "Thanks for the seafood feast, Mark!"

"Did you happen to take the leftover chowder?"

They got a seafood feast, and Lily and I got the leftovers.

I dumped the chowder in the trash. Mark came out of the bathroom and saw it.

"What'd I do now?"

I shoved the phone in his face. He sighed. "Timmy punched Lily. I was just buying them dinner to make up for it."

"So you think it was Lily's fault?"

He didn't say anything. I pointed to the door. "Get out."

"You're being irrational," Mark spat.