That rabbit mattered.
It was one of the last gifts their mother had given Sofia before she passed away.
Chloe marched toward them, her heels striking sharply against the hardwood floor.
“How many times do I have to tell you two that I don’t want you sitting around in the main living room?”
Both girls reacted instantly.
That reaction was what frightened me first.
They didn’t look surprised.
They looked familiar with it.
Valeria immediately closed her book.
Sofia lowered her head.
There was no confusion in either of their faces.
Only recognition.
As though they already knew exactly what happened when Chloe used that voice.
Then Chloe reached down and took the stuffed rabbit from Sofia’s hands.
She placed it on a shelf far above my daughter’s reach.
“I’m tired of repeating myself,” she said. “When your father isn’t home, I make the rules here.”
I stared at the monitor.
Sofia’s lower lip began trembling.
Valeria moved closer to her sister.
Almost instinctively, she positioned herself slightly in front of Sofia.
Then Marisol entered the room.
She didn’t yell.
She didn’t confront Chloe aggressively.
She simply walked over and stood between Chloe and my daughters.
“Miss Chloe,” she said calmly, “the girls were only reading while they waited for their tutor.”
Chloe turned toward her.
“Did I ask for your opinion?”
“No, ma’am.”
