I Found My Daughter’s Note in Her Wet Backpack After I Picked Her Up From Her Dad’s — and Realized That Night Wasn’t the First
Friday: Sent to room without dinner.
Sunday: Confiscated phone so I couldn’t call Mom.
Wednesday: Patricia told me Mom wouldn’t believe me anyway.
And at the very bottom of the page, one final line, in the same neat hand:
If they do it again, I just have to wait outside until someone sees me.
I stood frozen in that quiet hospital room, holding a wet piece of paper, and I understood two things at once, and both of them broke something in me.