“I’m so sorry for what he did to you.” The in-between washes over me as his sorrow and his words wrap around my ribs and compress them against my heart. The last thing I see is a streak of long blonde braids and a pink night dress as Jovie flies into her parents’ arms. I chose her innocence over the roar of death, and as the shadows in the corner swallow me whole, I can’t help but wish that someone had once done the same for me.
