Part II · Descent
I Failed
April 22, 2024
I was laying our youngest down for bed.
You were helping our oldest
use the bathroom.
Then—
a crack.
Sharp.
Echoing.
I ran.
You were crying.
So was he.
A red mark burned across his face.
He clutched his cheek,
tears streaking through shock.
“Mommy, why did you hit me?”
I turned to you.
“Did you just slap him across the face?”
While crying you, nodded.
“Yes.”
And I broke.
I had promised to protect him.
I failed.
You had to leave.
He needed me now.
I texted your father
just to stop myself
from calling the cops.
I held him while he wept.
And I did too.
And I wondered—
how did you become
your mother’s daughter?