Chapter 10 - NELSON’S SILENCENelson slept in a hospital chair the first night.
Peyton slept intermittently.
At 2:00 a.m., I asked:
“What did you know about Bryce?”
He stared at the floor.
“Not the school concussion.”
“What did you know?”
“Dad said Bryce had a rough year.”
“What does that mean?”
“He got into fights.”
“How many?”
“I don’t know.”
“Did you know Bryce was bothering Peyton?”
“No.”
I waited.
Nelson rubbed his face.
“Dad mentioned she complained about him Thursday.”
My stomach dropped.
“You knew that?”
“He called me.”
“When?”
“Thursday night.”
“What did he say?”
“That Peyton was getting sensitive and making a big deal out of cousin roughhousing.”
“And what did you do?”
“Nothing.”
The word entered the room and sat between us.
Nothing.
“You didn’t call me?”
“No.”
“Peyton?”
“No.”
“Bryce’s parents?”
“No.”
“I thought Dad had it handled.”
There it was.
The family religion.
Dad handled it.
I looked at my husband.
“Your daughter was telling an adult she was scared.”
“I know.”
“No. You know now.”
He cried.
May you like
I did not comfort him.
Not then.
Related Stories
