I Stepped Onto the Road
I got out slowly.
My shoes sank slightly into the loose gravel.
The spring air was cool.
I stood beside the SUV with my handbag in one hand.
My son looked at me through the open window.
"Someone will come by eventually."
I couldn't believe what I was hearing.
"Who?"
He didn't answer.
My daughter finally turned around.
For one second, our eyes met.
I expected regret.
I expected tears.
I expected her to tell her brother this had gone too far.
Instead, she whispered, "I'm sorry."
Then she looked away.
The door closed.
The SUV began moving.
I watched it disappear.
And something strange happened.
I stopped feeling afraid.
Not completely.
But the fear was replaced by clarity.
For the first time, I understood exactly who my children had become.
And I understood something else.
They had made a terrible mistake.
