I was in second grade and my older sister was in seventh grade.

One more year my sister would have moved onto the next school, I remember that.

It would also be moving to a new house.

But our parents held back and postponed the move.

At the time I remember not wanting to leave to go to another school and not have the same

friends over there.

My parents reasoning made more sense.

They wanted us to change to a new school district once my sister was ready to enter high school.

That was only one of the two main reasons why we stayed there for so long.

At least the one they told me.

And the other reason?

Well, that's the story I'm about to share.

Mom was calling for my dad one night.

I could hear her voice coming from the living room and allowed whisper.

I'm sure that could even be called the whisper anymore.

It's asking him to hurry.

Mom says that she didn't ask for him to grab the gun, but I swear that's what I heard.

To add right up to the living room and straight to the front door to peek out the glass panels

that were on both sides of it.

Mom took a few steps back until her hands met the wall behind her and she cleansed her

own hands, almost as if she was praying.

I had gotten used to seeing her in that position that I even remember doing the same thing a

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