As I leave my room, I let my dad out first. We’re both silent, but I realize he’s waiting for me to lock up. Maybe he has another warning in store. But as we hear footsteps, which suddenly stop, we both freeze and turn our heads towards the direction of the sound.
The moment I see who’s watching us with wide eyes, my face falls. You’ve got to be f*****g kidding me. We all stand, frozen in our spots, glancing from one to the other. Finally, my dad recomposes himself and squeezes my shoulder in a meaningful way, before turning around and disappearing.
I stare after him a moment longer than necessary, because I want to avoid the conversation that I know is about to happen. I only turn my head as I hear the footsteps starting to move again.
Sheila doesn’t stop in front of me. She keeps walk
