“Go to sleep, girl. I’ll stay here and make sure nothing happens to you.” Peta stood and headed for the door. “Rest. Your day’s been full.”
I didn’t respond, just lay down and slipped under the sheets. Sleeping here would be hard. My cut had stopped hurting, but my thoughts wouldn’t quiet.
I relived every second of my day, from the moment I decided to leave Grandma Blanca’s house.
I tossed and turned. I didn’t want to keep replaying those horrible things; it only made my mood worse. It wasn’t pleasant remembering how much they hated me, wanted me dead—not just me, but my son too.
I pulled the sheet over my head and started humming the way my mother used to sing. In Latin. Today, I’d bet it could even be a spell, but I didn’t care. It always calmed me and helped me fall asleep.
Quanah’
