He jabs his finger in my direction. “You will do your duty to this family.” Da glares one final time at me and then storms down the hallway, leaving me alone with Mother. My body sags as some of the tension flows out of it. My eyes burn. That single word beats like a drum in my head. Duty. Duty. Duty. “Come.” My mother guides me to the couch. She sits and pats the cushion next to her. Slowly, I lower myself, and she turns to face me. Her hands are warm around my ice-cold ones. She squeezes my fingers in a reassuring gesture that does nothing to alleviate the fear inside me.
