I Knew You Once

Chapter 19

"Why'd you do that?"

"I don't know! I panicked!"

"So you punched her in the face?"

"Yes. Ugh! I don't know. It was just a reaction!"

"No one punches their mom in the face because they said something!"

"Shut up! It was just a reaction! And she's not my mom!"

"But she said-"

"I don't care about what she said! She could be a psycho killer!"

"I don't think she is."

"What if she is though. I might have saved our lives!"

"What about her? She's knocked out! Wake her up!"

"Why?"

"You don't want to leave her lying on the floor."

Ugh. He's right. "Fine." I give in.

I bend down to the woman's level and nudge her shoulder. Tyler starts to poke her face. She winces a little at the pushing of her skin with Tyler's finger. I get up quick and watch as she tries to open her eyes.

"Um...uh...I'm terribly sorry ma'am." I look at the woman with an apologetic face.

She rubs her face on the left hand side... Where I stuck her. "Ah." She winced at the sudden pain when she touches the bruise.

"Again, I'm really sorry."

"It's okay. It was just a reaction I assume."

"That's still no excuse. Can I do anything to help?"

"How about a bag of ice?" She asks in a kind voice."

I nod my head and ask one of the employees for an ice bag.

When I return from getting the bag, I see the woman standing with her hand on her bruise. I feel terrible.

"Here you go," I say, smiling.

She smiles back and grabs the bag, "Thank you, sweetheart."

"No problem, it's the least I could do for smashing my fist into your face. I'm so sorry about that. If there's anything else you want me to do, I'll do it. And again, I'm really sorry for hurting you. It was a reaction that didn't even function in my mind before I smothered your face with my knuckles. Ugh! I'm just... I'm sorry." I finish rambling and see her smiling.

I'm a bit confused. Is she not in pain and somewhat mad?

"Sweetie, it's alright. As I said before, it's okay." She smiles again.

She's kind of creeping me out. If someone punched me like that I would've been all over the place.

"I guess I surprised you when I said you were my daughter."

My eye twitches as she lets those words slip from her lipsticked mouth.

"Yeah. You made me surprised alright."

"I should go."

Yes you should before I pummel your face again. Did she just say I'm her daughter? It could be true since I'm adopted. But what is she doing in a prison home? If she really is my...my... my birth person, I just bruised her face. Crap.

After the woman leaves, I explain my adoption thing to Tyler and the whole Mason thing too.

He nods out of shock with his eyeballs as big as watermelons. I wait for a reaction and a reply.