Little Girl Leaving book topic:
Daddy opens my door. “Hey, sweetheart, Daddy’s home.” I sit up with Blankie and say,
“Hi, Daddy, I missed you. Where’ve you been?” He walks in and closes the door behind
him. He’s having a hard time taking his jacket off and says there’s important work to do.
I don’t know what that means. Daddy leans over to kiss my head with both arms behind
his back. He’s wobbly and almost falls on me. I say, “Daddy, are you okay?” He says he
hasn’t felt good. He pulls me out of my covers and says he needs a hug. I don’t want to
be out of my covers. I hug him and try to sit back, but he’s squeezing me. His shirt
button’s poking my cheek. I’m not listening to Daddy now. I have a little part of me listen
to say okay and uh-huh so he won’t get mad. The rest of me thinks about my cheek and
what it would look like in a mirror. There would be a circle inside another circle with two
dots inside. Daddy almost tips over when he stands up. He’s pulling off my nightie and
my undies. My tummy’s squeezingthe macaroni Mommy made for dinner. I try to get
back under my covers. Daddy’s voice is saying, “Stop it, Deidi. I said turn over.” He
sounds mean. I turn over and his big hand covers my face. I can’t breathe! I twist, but
he yanks my neck back. My mouth and nose and eyes feel like the roof fell on them. I’m
falling into a dark hole in the floor. It’s time to go. Maybe I won’t wear my purple tights
tomorrow. I wonder if my blue sweater’s in my closet. Mommy said I left it in her car. I
might have to look for it in the morning. That’s okay, I’ll find it. I should wear long
