Brad away for a weekend. There had to be someone who could at least check on the kids. Layla’s name came to mind, but . . .
“Whatever you decide.” Brad kissed her again, tucking her hair behind her ear. “I just want you to be happy.”
“I know. And I am.” She thought about how disappointed Myrna would be if she quit her job after just two months. And what about Cara?
“Maybe everyone would appreciate me a little more around here if I wasn’t working—now that they’ve had a taste of what it’s like when I’m not here.” She nudged Brad playfully, although she was serious.
“We’ve always appreciated you.” He eased her off his lap and walked to the stove. After lifting the lid off the roast, he leaned down and inhaled through his nose. “Not bad, if I do say so myself.”
Darlene pulled her blouse loose from her slacks, then stretched her arms above her head. “I’m going to go change clothes, then I’ll—”
A bloodcurdling scream from upstairs made her gasp midsentence. She couldn’t move for a moment. Then another scream.
“Mom! Dad! Come quick! Hurry!” Ansley’s voice sounded panicked.
Darlene was ahead of Brad as they both darted up the stairs. Her heart was in her throat.
Chapter Twelve
Ansley stood in the hall outside of Grace’s room, crying. Darlene pushed past her younger daughter and into the room, Brad on her heels. Chad was sitting beside Grace on the bed, and Darlene knelt down in front of her.
“Gracie, baby?” Darlene’s mouth moved, but hardly any sound came out as she eyed the blood on Grace’s powder blue shirt. Her baby girl’s hands were covered in blood. Tears were streaming down both her cheeks. Darlene looked down and saw the gashes on the inside of Grace’s thighs, slightly below her white shorts, which were also splattered bright red.
“Who did this to you?” She grasped Grace’s shoulders. “Tell me!”
“Oh, dear Lord in heaven,” Brad said as he pulled Chad out of the way and sat down beside Grace. “Gracie, baby girl. What happened? Who did this?”
Darlene didn’t take her eyes from Grace as she told Ansley to hurry and get some wet cloths. “What happened?” She glanced back and forth between Grace and Chad. Grace couldn’t catch her breath, so she turned to Chad, who was also crying.
“She—she did this to herself, Mom.” Chad swiped at his eyes.
“What?” Brad glared at his son, then looked back at Grace.
Darlene touched Brad on the leg. She could feel him trembling. When Ansley walked back into the room carrying a wet rag, Darlene asked everyone to leave. Brad started to argue, but he finally took Ansley and Chad by the shoulders, and they all went downstairs.
Darlene took a deep breath as she sat beside Grace on the bed and began to clean her wounds. She silently prayed and thanked God that Grace’s wounds weren’t deeper. She might have scars, but she didn’t need stitches. She left once to get antibiotic ointment, and when she returned, Grace was still crying just as hard as when she and Brad had first walked in. Grace just kept sobbing and saying how sorry she was, over and over again.
“It’s okay, sweetie. It’s okay.” Darlene was repeating herself too, but she didn’t know what else to say. Her main focus was on comforting Grace, even though her mind was spinning. Why would her beautiful daughter do this to herself?
Four fresh cuts ran along the inside of Grace’s thighs, and on the top of her legs, smaller wounds were scabbing over, making it heartbreakingly clear that this was not the first time Grace had done this to herself.
After she finished applying the antibiotic cream, Darlene couldn’t control the flood of tears that poured down her cheeks. “Why, baby? What made you do this?” She blotted her eyes, thinking maybe she should have let Brad handle this. But she couldn’t bear to leave Grace yet. Grace was so hysterical. She just kept shaking her head and apologizing. Darlene felt helpless.
After a while, she convinced Grace to lie down, and Darlene stayed with her until she fell asleep. She stared at her daughter, unsure of what to do. Where to go? Who to call? Why had Grace done this? Darlene felt like she might vomit.
Brad eased the door open, his eyes bloodshot. Darlene put a finger to her lips. “She’s sleeping,” she mouthed.
Brad motioned for her to come out into the hall.
“Chad said he knew she’d done this once before, but never this bad.”
“What?” Darlene