Page 65 of Can You Take It?

“Rick, I...” Luna begins.

“I don’t give a fuck about your reasons,” he snaps. “I told you to keep her out of this, and you deliberately disobeyed my orders.”

I want to speak up, to confess my deception, but the fear of the repercussions keeps my lips sealed.

“She needs to know. She’s more capable than you think,” Luna stands her ground.

“I’ll be the judge of that,” he retorts sharply. “I decide who’s in and who’s out. You’ve crossed a line, Luna. Call it a night.”

After Luna leaves, I give her an apologetic look. I know her heart was in the right place, but her actions have put me in a tricky situation. Richard turns his attention to me, planting a soft kiss on my forehead. He apologizes for Luna’s blunder, emphasizing that he’s doing his best to keep me safe. But right now, it feels like everyone is doing the exact opposite.

“I’ll be fine, Richard,” I reassure him, but the truth is, I’m far from fine. I can sense myself growing increasingly attached to him, and it terrifies me. The looming fear of shattering his heart when he inevitably unearths the truth keeps me up at night. I’m frightened by the thought of how he’ll look at me once he discovers the real story.

He hands me a box, and I raise an eyebrow with my curiosity piqued. His unexpected gestures never fail to surprise me.

“What’s this?”

“Open it and see,” he replies.

I carefully lift the lid, and my breath catches in my throat. Inside, I find a breathtaking red dress. It’s stunning.

A dress? I haven’t worn one in ages. This is new, even overwhelming, because nobody has ever gifted me anything before. Well, except for that one time...

August 11, 2005, at 10:45:12 PM

My mom is at the stove, stirring a pot. I’m sitting at the table, scribbling furiously with my crayons. I’ve drawn a picture of myself with a bunch of friends, just like Sally.

“Look, Mom! How’s this?” I rush over to her, waving my masterpiece.

She glances down, her tired eyes lighting up with pride. “That’s beautiful, Izzie. Who are all these friends?”

I point to each figure. “This is Sally, and that’s Sam, and this is Tommy. They’re my best friends.”

She smiles, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “They seem lovely. You’re quite the artist, you know that?”

I beam, but then my smile fades. “Mom, why can’t I have friends like Sally does? I want to go outside and play with real friends, not just draw them.”

Her face falls, and she kneels down to my level, wiping her hands on a towel. “Izel, I know it’s hard. But things are a bit different for us. We have to be careful.”

I cross my arms, pouting. “But it’s not fair! It’s my birthday and no one will be there again. Not even one friend.”

“I know, sweetheart. But we’ll have a special day together, just you and me. I promise it’ll be wonderful.”

“But I don’t want it to be just us! I want friends, a party, and gifts.”

My mom’s face tenses, and she opens her mouth to argue, but before she can say anything, a voice booms from behind her, sending a chill down my spine.

“Is that how you talk to your mother?”

I whip around. “Sorry, Dad.”

I shuffle back to the table with my drawing. Usually, he would slap me or throw me to the ground for talking back, but today, he doesn’t. Maybe it’s because it’s my birthday, or maybe he’s in a rare good mood. He walks over, crouching down to my level, and hands me a box.

“Happy birthday,” he says.

My face lights up with a smile. “Thank you, Daddy!” I hug him tightly, feeling a rare moment of affection.

I tear open the box and find a beautiful red dress and a small, pretty tube of lipstick that looks fancy. Just like Sallyhas. I hold the dress up to myself, glowing with happiness. Just then, my mom walks in, carrying a cake. She sees me with the dress and the lipstick, and the cake slips from her hands, crashing to the floor.

---