Chapter 3 - THE WEIGHT OF LEATHER
The woman abandoned the wine glass.
Her beige silk sleeves rushed through the air as she leaned over the edge of the table.
Both of her hands clamped down onto Lily’s small shoulders.
The maroon nails dug deeply into the soft pastel fabric of the tie-dye dress.
She shook the child.
Once. Twice.
Lily’s blonde hair whipped wildly across her tear-streaked face.
Her teeth clicked together with a sharp, sickening sound.
The front door, located just beyond the archway of the dining room, clicked open.
The heavy, brass deadbolt snapped back into its housing.
A man stepped into the hallway.
His light blue dress shirt was rolled up at the forearms, revealing thick veins pressing against the skin.
His dark trousers were speckled with fine raindrops from the evening commute.
In his right hand, he gripped the handle of a thick, leather briefcase.
He stopped mid-stride.
His dark eyes locked onto the beige silk blouse and the pastel dress shaking beneath it.
His fingers slowly uncurled from the leather handle.
The briefcase plummeted.
It hit the wooden floorboards with a deafening THUD, the metal buckles clattering sharply against the hardwood.
The sound shattered the heavy air in the dining room.
The woman’s hands instantly detached from Lily’s shoulders.
She spun around, the silk of her blouse catching the chandelier’s light.
The man stepped into the dining room.
His leather shoes left dull smudges on the polished floor.
"What did you just do?"
His voice was dangerously low, rattling in his chest like an idling engine.
The woman smoothed the front of her blouse, her maroon nails picking at an invisible piece of lint.
"She was stealing food."
Lily didn't look at the woman.
She bolted around the edge of the mahogany table.
Her bare feet slapped furiously against the wood.
She crashed into the man’s legs, her small arms wrapping tightly around his dark trousers.
She buried her wet face into the fabric of his thigh.
"Daddy, I was just hungry."
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She squeezed the fabric so hard her small knuckles turned completely white.
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