Refresh: Extras

Please Daddy

   I looked up as I heard the door shut. I finished the sentence I was working on and closed my work laptop. Huh. Too early for Error...
   "Jessie?" I called softly standing from my desk. My bones crackles a bit. I was sitting there too long.
   Jessie stepped in quietly. That's weird. He's so quiet. He was usually so excited to get home and talk about school. Something must have happened.
   "Jessie what happened?" Worry welled up in my soul.
   "Daddy... The other kids were saying bad things..." Jessie whispered. He was trembling.
   I kneeled in front of him. Oh no. I was so afraid of this. Bullying. "Oh Jessie... What did they say?"
   "T-They were saying bad things...'b-bout you!" He hiccuped snd buried his face in my jacket.
   I paused and tensed up holding him close. "What about me..?"
   "T-they called you broken... and a whore cuz you got 'napped as a k-kid... I dunno what that whore means but it sounds bad! Daddy is it bad!?" Jessie cried.
   I tensed more and my soul skipped. I felt... Scared? Angry? Sad? Where did children learn these things!? Or these words?!
   "Jess... uh... it is a bad word... a very bad word. They were basically saying it was my fault that the bad man touched me." I shivered.
   He hiccuped and sniffled. "B-but t'as not true!"
   "I know Jess. I know." I pulled him closer. "Those were just mean kids who had no clue what they were talking about. Okay?"
   He wiped his eyes. "I'm sorry.. I din say anythin' to them..." He whispered
   "Jessie no. Don't be sorry. You didn't do anything wrong." I pet his hair.
   He sniffled again. "Can we get ice cream..?"
   I smiled and pat his shoulder. "Of course kiddo. We can go gey some ice cream."