One afternoon, she came home wearing it with a large dark stain across the front.
“What happened?” I asked.
She looked down.
“Someone spilled something.”
“Who?”
“I don’t know.”
Her answer was quick.
Too quick.
I asked whether she had fallen or bumped into someone.
She said no.
I asked whether a teacher had seen what happened.
Again, no.
Then she went upstairs and changed clothes.
At the time, I didn’t think much of it.
Accidents happen.
The Second Time Was Different
Several weeks later, the same jacket came home damaged again.
This time there was a tear near one of the sleeves.
The fabric looked as if it had been pulled hard.
I immediately noticed that the damage wasn’t consistent with a simple spill.
“What happened this time?”
She hesitated.
“I got caught on something.”
“Where?”
“At school.”
“On what?”
“I don’t remember.”
That was when I became concerned.
