Her movements were gentle, careful, as she dabbed the oil onto my burns.
My eyes swept the room. The elder Pruitts sat there wearing hollow smiles.
But unlike before, there was something else behind those smiles now. A flicker of guilt.
The admission letter was gone from the table. They must have hidden it. Still, I couldn't resist testing Norma.
"Honey, I heard everyone's admission letters have been arriving. Have you seen if mine—"
"I already checked. There's nothing for you."
"Duane, don't be too upset. Worst case, I'll take care of you for the rest of your life."
She lied without a single crack in her composure. And then she comforted me.
My heart had already sunk to rock bottom, yet I still clung to our three years of marriage, wanting to give Norma one last chance.
"But I heard my name was clearly on the admission list..."
"You heard wrong." Norma cut me off without hesitation, her brows knitting together as she spoke.
"Duane, I know you can't accept it, but this is just fate."
"You're not meant for college. Don't bother applying again..."
Fate?
But Norma knew better than anyone that my grades were good enough for university!