“I’ll send him away.” I nodded once more than rinsed out the shampoo.
“Okay baby girl. We need to drain this yucky water and start fresh.” I pulled the plug and watched as the rusty water drained away.
She looked up at me with swollen eyes. “He’s gone.”
The tub finished draining as Carly stood there, and I nodded. “Yeah. Yeah, he is.” She shivered as I turned the warm water back on, allowing the tub to refill. But I doubt she felt any of it. I helped her back into the water and squeezed more shampoo into her hair, the water barely changing color this time. After I rinsed, I added the conditioner. I knew I was stalling. What do I say to a kid who just lost everything? “Carly…” She barely registered me, but her eyes finally met mine. “I won’t lie to you and tell you that the pain, this h
