EMERY
Walking through the front door, I drop my bag from my shoulder and immediately kick off my heels. Today has been an exhausting day, with classes even less interesting than usual. All I want to do now is have a nap before the ball tonight. I massage my shoulder, feeling the weight it's carried all day, and hold my bag between my arms as I head for the stairs.
But as I approach, I hear a noise to my right, and instinctively I turn my head. What I see stops me in my tracks. It's an all-too-familiar scene that never fails to capture my heart. My father, with a woman clinging to his mouth, near the living room. It's his way of announcing his return, and it hits me with a sudden, implacable force.
I shouldn't be surprised any more. This is nothing new. It's been going on for years, and nothing ever changes. Nothing will ever change.
Trying to put an end to the torment, I look away, refusing to let my gaze linger on the painful image. I need to escape to the refuge of my bedroom.
