Page 14 of Shattered Dreams

“I hungry.”

“It’s I’m, baby.”

“I.” Tyler growled like a tiger.

“I’m.” I tried to smile at him. We’d been working with a speech therapist and he’s just so headstrong.

“Hungry now.”

“What do you say?”

“NOW!” Tyler yelled, running in circles around the kitchen table.

The baby wailed, reminding me she’s there, and I felt my eyes filling with tears.

How the hell am I going to keep up with five kids when I feel overrun by four?

The baby crawled towards me, screaming louder now. The kids in the bedroom sounded like they were in a cage match and the one running around the table just tripped on a chair leg and went sprawling on the floor.

Fuck my life.

I dropped to sit in the nearest chair as John loomed in the doorway. “This what you do all day? Sit around, letting the kids get hurt and the baby scream?”

“No, it’s not.” I ground my teeth as my skin crawled.

Tyler scrambled up and ran from the kitchen.

“Well, maybe if you weren’t lazy.” He mocked me.

“John, I am doing the best I can.”

He bent over and picked up the baby, then stepped over to me and squeezed my cheeks in his hand. “You runnin’ your mouth like that, Lynn, is gonna piss me off.”

“Um, thowwy.”

“You better be, bitch.” He let go of my face and shoved the baby into my arms. “Now take care of our daughter and make her stop screamin’.”

I scanned the table and found a pacifier. Stretching to reach it, I popped it into Briar’s mouth, bouncing her gently. “Shh, now, we don’t want daddy mad.”

“What’s that?” He turned back towards me. “You talkin’ shit on me to my kids?”

Each footfall makes me brace for impact. And I leaned over Briar to protect her and my belly. His meaty hand grabs the back of my neck and shoves my head down to the table.

“The fuck is your problem, Lynn?”

“Nothing.”

“That’s not what I heard.” He lifted my head and slammed it down again.

I adjusted myself and slid Briar down to the floor, under the table where I knew she’d be mad, but safe.

The house phone rang, and his grip tightened.

“That god damn phone rings all the time.” He yanked my head up. “Who do you have callin’ you, Jolynn?”

Try bill collectors who want their money, but we don’t have it because your lazy, dumb ass refuses to work!

Even though my mind screamed to say what I thought I said. “It’s for the school and my parents.”

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