I HEARD HIM SAY " DADDY"
I took a shaky breath, wiped my face, and forced myself back into the sitting room.
Just as I stepped inside, there was a knock at the door.
“He’s here,” Mrs. Evelyn said, her small smile controlled, triumphant. “Vera, get the door.”
Vera moved quickly, almost running. Every muscle in my body tightened further.
The doctor stepped in—Dr. Harry, I later learned. He wasn’t wearing a white coat, but his suit made him look serious, official. The room felt smaller somehow, heavier, as though the walls themselves were closing in on me. He was clearly an acquaintance of Mrs. Evelyn’s—perhaps even a friend. They interacted with an ease that made my unease deepen.