**Valerie**
Saturday night,
My eyes caught my parents, and I felt the air knock out of my lungs. Mrs. Harrison, my mother, was looking as elegant as usual. She was wearing a sleeveless ball gown, her hair styled into a fringe and ponytail, and her arm locked onto my dad's.
My dad, ever the charmer, was laughing with a man I recognized. He was one of the big investors at the Harrisons' company.
I could imagine what Dad was saying to the man. ‘We’re on the verge of a revolutionary breakthrough, and with your support, we can make it happen.‘ It was his typical way of luring new investors or encouraging old investors to invest more.
Then suddenly, his eyes met mine. I reached for a glass of wine from a passing tray and gulped everything at once, the liquid doing very little to calm my fra
