Page 16 - ThreeGiftsForFlipBook
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leave you for a few minutes to get acquainted.” The two young men stood there looking at each other, hoping the other would talk first. Justin wasn’t used to small children and Tom felt he had had more than his share of babysitting in his lifetime. They elbowed each other a few times and finally Tom looked away as if telling Justin to speak first. Justin sighed but finally spoke. “Uh, so hey, kid, what are you in for? Did you get stuck here like us because you did something wrong?” He laughed at his joke but stopped almost immediately. It didn’t seem all that funny here. Emily stood up and looked at Justin. She was small and blond, but had an air of maturity beyond her years. “We’re in for about eight hours while my mommy finishes swinging shift over at the bakery. I don’t know if I did anything wrong. Maybe I did; maybe that’s why Daddy left.” “What do you mean, that’s why your daddy left?” Tom asked as Sam joined them. “One night he came home drunk and he started hitting Mommy. I started crying and yelled for him to stop. He hit me really hard. I don’t remember any more, but when I woke up I was in the hospital and Daddy never came back.” “Is that where you got the gash on your face?” 11