smoothed her hair. She wiped her nose, and he hugged her
again.
“I’m afraid they’ll
kill him.”
He patted her
back. “They’ll be here soon. Try to calm down.”
The sirens blared,
and lights flashed. A fire emergency vehicle streaked past the house, followed
by a police car. And then an ambulance.
Fifteen minutes
later, Tala said, “Maybe you should go, too, Dad.”
“That’s not a
good idea. We’ll be hearing soon enough from the—”
He turned in a
knock’s direction. Her father opened the door. “Hi, Charlie, what’s going on?”
“Harry. Tala.”
The officer nodded to each. “I was just about to ask you the same question. Isn’t
it prom night?”
“Yes,” Tala
said. Didn’t everyone know that? “Is Matt okay?”
“They’re taking
him to the hospital. Weren’t you with him?”
Tala
concentrated on not rolling her eyes. “Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Well, we went
to the cemetery—”
“Why would you
do a thing like that?”
Tala shrugged. “We
just did, that’s all.” If only she’d come up with a better story before this. “We
were walking out, and that’s when the dogs attacked Matt.”
“They didn’t
attack you?”
“No.”
The look on his
face showed disbelief.
“It just doesn’t
make sense. Why would they attack Matt and not you?”
Her shoulders
slumped. Think, Tala, think. “Maybe they don’t like males.”
The officer
raised his eyebrows.
“I just don’t
know.” She wrung her hands. “But I know how crazy the whole thing sounds. I’m
even having trouble believing it happened.” She started crying again.
“Look, Charlie,”
her father said. “Tala’s really upset right now. Maybe she’ll remember more
tomorrow…after a good night’s sleep.”
The officer
sighed. “Okay, Tala. Get some shuteye. We’ll get in touch with you tomorrow.”
Her father
walked him to the door, and the officer left. He turned to her. “There’s more
to this story, isn’t there?”
Tala nodded. “Mom’s
asleep already, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” He
paused. “Let’s not involve her in this. She’s volatile enough. But you need to
tell me, although I think I know already.”
“What do you
think you know?” she asked in a small voice.
“That Matt
became violent, maybe just after he said something about your eyes.”
She looked at
her father, eyes wide. “H-how did you know?”
“That’s all I
want to say about it. It’s too dangerous for you to be together.
“But, Dad.” She
covered her face with her hands. “Maybe—”
“No, Tala. There’s
no maybe, only never. It’s for your protection. And his.”
“Can’t he
change?”
Her father just
shook his head.
Tala wanted to
ask him more questions. Despite what had happened in the cemetery, she wanted
to scream there had to be some way she and Matt could be together. Some way
Matt could change. But her father’s eyes frightened her. They spoke of resignation,
remorse, and exhaustion.
“Okay, Dad.” Once
he’d made up his mind, he wouldn’t budge. She hugged him. “I’m tired.” If only
she could erase the sadness from her father’s eyes.
He tousled her
hair. “Go to sleep, Tala. Things will be better tomorrow.”
No, they wouldn’t.
Nothing could ever be better without Matt. But she nodded and started up the
stairs. When she reached the fifth step, her father spoke.
“And Tala…”
“Yes, Dad?”
“I’m proud of
you. You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
A tear ran down
her cheek, and she blew a kiss. “Thanks, Dad.”
After Tala went
upstairs, her father sank into the couch. He and Carol knew the risks they took
when they’d married. It wasn’t what he’d wanted, but his father… And now his
nightmares were becoming a reality. He’d have to keep her away from Matt, and
everyone like him. And how was that even a possibility? Hard enough now. What
about when he died? He ran his fingers through his hair. He’d protect her the
best he could until
again.
“I’m afraid they’ll
kill him.”
He patted her
back. “They’ll be here soon. Try to calm down.”
The sirens blared,
and lights flashed. A fire emergency vehicle streaked past the house, followed
by a police car. And then an ambulance.
Fifteen minutes
later, Tala said, “Maybe you should go, too, Dad.”
“That’s not a
good idea. We’ll be hearing soon enough from the—”
He turned in a
knock’s direction. Her father opened the door. “Hi, Charlie, what’s going on?”
“Harry. Tala.”
The officer nodded to each. “I was just about to ask you the same question. Isn’t
it prom night?”
“Yes,” Tala
said. Didn’t everyone know that? “Is Matt okay?”
“They’re taking
him to the hospital. Weren’t you with him?”
Tala
concentrated on not rolling her eyes. “Yes.”
“What happened?”
“Well, we went
to the cemetery—”
“Why would you
do a thing like that?”
Tala shrugged. “We
just did, that’s all.” If only she’d come up with a better story before this. “We
were walking out, and that’s when the dogs attacked Matt.”
“They didn’t
attack you?”
“No.”
The look on his
face showed disbelief.
“It just doesn’t
make sense. Why would they attack Matt and not you?”
Her shoulders
slumped. Think, Tala, think. “Maybe they don’t like males.”
The officer
raised his eyebrows.
“I just don’t
know.” She wrung her hands. “But I know how crazy the whole thing sounds. I’m
even having trouble believing it happened.” She started crying again.
“Look, Charlie,”
her father said. “Tala’s really upset right now. Maybe she’ll remember more
tomorrow…after a good night’s sleep.”
The officer
sighed. “Okay, Tala. Get some shuteye. We’ll get in touch with you tomorrow.”
Her father
walked him to the door, and the officer left. He turned to her. “There’s more
to this story, isn’t there?”
Tala nodded. “Mom’s
asleep already, isn’t she?”
“Yes.” He
paused. “Let’s not involve her in this. She’s volatile enough. But you need to
tell me, although I think I know already.”
“What do you
think you know?” she asked in a small voice.
“That Matt
became violent, maybe just after he said something about your eyes.”
She looked at
her father, eyes wide. “H-how did you know?”
“That’s all I
want to say about it. It’s too dangerous for you to be together.
“But, Dad.” She
covered her face with her hands. “Maybe—”
“No, Tala. There’s
no maybe, only never. It’s for your protection. And his.”
“Can’t he
change?”
Her father just
shook his head.
Tala wanted to
ask him more questions. Despite what had happened in the cemetery, she wanted
to scream there had to be some way she and Matt could be together. Some way
Matt could change. But her father’s eyes frightened her. They spoke of resignation,
remorse, and exhaustion.
“Okay, Dad.” Once
he’d made up his mind, he wouldn’t budge. She hugged him. “I’m tired.” If only
she could erase the sadness from her father’s eyes.
He tousled her
hair. “Go to sleep, Tala. Things will be better tomorrow.”
No, they wouldn’t.
Nothing could ever be better without Matt. But she nodded and started up the
stairs. When she reached the fifth step, her father spoke.
“And Tala…”
“Yes, Dad?”
“I’m proud of
you. You’ve never looked more beautiful.”
A tear ran down
her cheek, and she blew a kiss. “Thanks, Dad.”
After Tala went
upstairs, her father sank into the couch. He and Carol knew the risks they took
when they’d married. It wasn’t what he’d wanted, but his father… And now his
nightmares were becoming a reality. He’d have to keep her away from Matt, and
everyone like him. And how was that even a possibility? Hard enough now. What
about when he died? He ran his fingers through his hair. He’d protect her the
best he could until