Chapter 13 - STANDING FIRM AT THE FRONT DOOR
When my mother realized I wasn't coming to the door, she began muttering angrily to herself, ringing the bell repeatedly before pressing her face against the glass. My son walked into the hallway, looked at the door, and then looked up at me with a questioning expression. I knelt down, took his small hands in mine, and said, “You are safe. Nobody is ever going to make you feel unwanted in this house again.” He nodded, a brave little smile touching his lips, and went back to his toys. Outside, a patrol car pulled slowly down our street, and my mother hurriedly retreated to her car, driving away in a blur of defensive fury.
