“Mary Pat,” Joyce says, breathing shallow, “I will discipline my child as I see fit.” Again Mary Pat shakes her head. “Get out of her fucking way!” Hannah Spotchnicki screams. “No one touches this girl,” Mary Pat says. Joyce charges and immediately comes up short when Mary Pat buries her fist in her solar plexus. Joyce hits the ground on her hip, lies there with her mouth open and gasping desperately for breath that’s still a good ten seconds away. Three of the five remaining SWAB Sisters—Hannah, Carol, and Patty—attack as one. They must think they’re tough, Mary Pat reasons, because they’re
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