“No, but I am.” She sniffled. “Just a cold. But Stacy decided to stay home and take care of me. Such a sweet girl.”
I nodded. Stacy was a sweet girl. But why had she skipped school to take care of her mom if all her mom had was a minor cold?
wasDeeper in the house, I heard a toilet flushing, then a faint, “Mom? Where are you?”
Denise called back: “Right here, honey. Just telling Brad how I’m sick.”
“Oh.” Stacy appeared behind her mom and looked out at me. “I’ll be back at school tomorrow, okay?”
I nodded, starting to go, and took one last look at Denise. My eyes went to the spot along her cheekbone, which she had touched earlier. Some of the makeup had worn away beneath her fingers, leaving a faint hint of purple. Something rose inside me, but I forced it down.
“Feel better, Denise,”
