The woman and the girl faced the door.
It’s going to be an improvement, but it isn’t going to be easy.
They’re good. You said they were good.
They are good.
So the woman knocked on the door while the girl shivered and became
a faceless, shaking spine.
And the woman named Monica opened it and responded to the girl’s condition
with a sympathetic look from her sympathetic mouth.
Hello again woman and hello girl.
Monica and the woman and the girl stepped over the threshold.
Beautiful things tended to have a suffocating influence on the girl all days
and especially these days.
So she held her hand over her mouth like a protective mask and squinted her eyes
to not see straight smiling teeth and ramie sweaters and hanging plant baskets like
the judiciary angels of God.
Monica sat on an easy chair.
The woman on a couch.
The girl leaned against a bloody looking wall with her elbows bent out and marveled at the effects of sponge on the thick paper that covers drywall.
The woman made small talk of small plans.
The girl went into the other room.
It was then that the woman spoke real.
Last chance.
She’s a runner if I ever…
Turns into a corpse when you so much as…
I don’t usually advocate girls being institutionalized…
You seem to keep kids sane and respect their cultures when it comes to that…
You keep the Chinese kids in Kimonos and braid the black girls’ hair so you’ll let her
cover her face with ash wear sack cloth and a girdle right?
She’s ancient.
The girl came back in on account of she was called.
Don’t you want to sit?
No.
The woman took a precise breath.
Monica is going to take care of you now. No more running, okay?
Well.
Well what?
And Monica interjected with are you thirsty, sick, or hungry?
If you don’t promise me, we’ll have to take you someplace where you can’t do
bad things to yourself.
Do you want a tour of the house? What is your favorite T.V. show? Usually the family has breakfast together.
…..
It’s because I took the music box away, isn’t it? Only it will drive everyone crazy.
Do you want a side-hug? Do you want me to brush your hair or teach you how to put on makeup? Easter is next week, so I want you to meet my sisters and brothers before that. My sister has a gift for you, I think it’s a Now c.d.
I want to go to my bedroom.
Okay.
Okay.
The girl sat on a purple bed spread. Everything around her was a hue childish.
The closet had:

•
7 shirts
•
4 Jeans
•
2 shorts
•
Dress pants





(court or church)
•
A dress
•
2 pajamas
•
A jacket
•
2 pairs of shoes.




(no laces)
•
Delicates in a white dresser

The girl looked back at Monica.
I bet you write wiki articles on this stuff.
In half an hour or so, I want you to meet the kids. Tonight, we discuss family rules and roles.