"Kit Reed - What Wolves Know" - читать интересную книгу автора (Reed Kit)

sad, swelling ankles. She says, тАЬItтАЩs all my fault, you know.тАЭ

What should he do now, bare all his teeth the way they do, to show
her heтАЩs friendly? Beg her to go on? Howl until she stops? He doesnтАЩt
know.

She says, тАЬI never should have had you.тАЭ Slumped on the edge of the
bed she leans sideways and tilts her head, trying to see under the crib
where HappyтАЩs green eyes glint. He makes no expression a human could
recognize, although Sonia would know it without question. She says, тАЬPoor
little thing.тАЭ

A sound stirs the air, a kind of shudder. He wonders but does not
ask, Mother, did you sob?

Her head comes up. тАЬHappy?тАЭ

Startled, Happy looks inside himself.тАФDid I? There is nothing he has
to say to her.

Then she just begins. тАЬYou donтАЩt know what itтАЩs like living with a man
who beats you. I was pregnant with Brent and our parents forced the
marriage, crazy thing to happen in this day and time, like it ruined his life to
marry me, we had too many babies, and whoтАФwho got me pregnant every
time? Do you see what I mean?тАЭ

Happy wonтАЩt speak. The words come so fast that he chooses not to
understand them. Ow, it hurts!

Never mind, nothing he says or does not say will stop her. тАЬHal hated
his life so he drank, and the more he drank the more he hated it so he drank
some more and the more he drank, the madder he got and nothing I could
do or say would make him happy. Every little thing I did used to make him
mad at me. The madder he got the more he hit me, but he never hit me
when I was pregnant. Oh, Happy, do you understand?тАЭ

For another long time, they are both silent.

A long sigh comes ripping out of her. тАЬYou do what you have to, just
to keep it from happening again. When anger takes hold like that, it has to
come out somewhere. Look.тАЭ She holds up a crooked wrist; even from
here it looks wrong. She touches a spot on her temple; she doesnтАЩt have to
tell Happy about the long white scar under the hair.

He tried so hard not to remember, but he remembers. On his belly
under the crib, Happy watches her over ridged knuckles.

Again. She says it again. тАЬHe never hit me when I was pregnant.тАЭ Her
breath shudders. тАЬSo I had you. IтАЩm so sorry!тАЭ