a's

to a careful rhythm

I avoided Sienna's gaze the way small animals avoid the eyes of predators. I endured Evelyn's constant stream of criticisms about my posture, my folding, my timing, the way I breathed too loudly when I was nervous. At night I col

d then stood there with wide, innocent eyes while Sienna raged. She once put a generous amount of salt into the sugar bowl and watched from the doorway with poorly concealed glee as Evelyn took a sip of her morn

d of reckless energy that both terrified and fascinated me.

day, trying to become so invisible that even Sienna would even

om. Sienna was already there, curled on the couch with her

n the furniture. "It makes the uniform hang wrong. Eat more. I will not have skeletal

"Yes, Mr

er face. "Maybe she should earn the food first. She's still clums

rved in agreemen

while they landed-twelve this time-before she finally stopped and told me to get out of her sight. My back felt like raw meat by the time I re

tears come silently. I thought about the hospital. About the moment I had stepped forward and offered

hollow, that I had simply walked away that

le could be saved without someone e