I Was Never the Choice
"Don't be afraid, sweetheart. Mommy's here."
Suddenly, Alex raised a hand, gently blocking my line of sight as his long fingers loosely covered Natalie's ears.
When he leaned down, the collar of his shirt fell open slightly, revealing a faint pink scar along his collarbone.
"Natalie," he said softly, "would you like some ice cream? I know a really good place…"
"Uncle Alex…" Natalie tugged timidly at his sleeve, her voice barely louder than a whisper.
"The bad man… He won't come back again, right?"