Arden:
With Ashton on the couch with her takeout and blanket, I sat down with her to tell her what I knew about her mother. I honestly wasn’t sure why she was committed, only that Ashton couldn’t handle her at home any longer.
“Are you ready?” I asked, watching her nod around a bite of her food.
“From what I understand, you woke up one morning, and your mother had gotten worse with her illness. She had torn down the drywall and ripped up the flooring. She had hurt herself so badly that you called an ambulance, and when paramedics arrived, she attacked them, then attacked you.” I had wondered how the small scar on her neck had gotten there, but I never asked her. I never had the chance.
I ran my thumb across the thin raised line that started on the right side of her neck and ran back i
