she knows

Rina Zante

As soon as we stepped into the hallway, an alarm bell went off in my head. I fastened my feet to the ground, bringing Mammà to stop as well since we held hands.

She glanced at me, looking more confused than me.

"Where are we going?" I knew the answer. I just didn't want to believe it was true. When she'd told me I'd got to see something, I'd never in my unimaginative mind thought this was the something.

She wore a blank look before turning around to continue walking.

"Mammà," I whispered, a sense of urgency woven in my voice.

"What is it? You want him to go scot-free? To keep coming after you?" Her face softened, wiping the bitter frown off. Letting out a sigh, she spoke in a calmer tone. "We have to do this. It's the only way to bring an end to the madness."

"But…" I was sure as hell my defense would annoy her. Therefore, I went for a more cowardly-looking alternative. "What are we going to tell her? That her son is a…" I trailed off when it became clear to me—from Ma