The Reservoir Tapes

Not to actually clip her one, but just

to let her see, let her see that Ginny meant business.

But she was too

slow

for nonsense like that now.

Young lady, she told her. I think you should leave.

The girl loved that, of course.

She sat up straighter and made herself comfortable.

Her whole expression was very familiar.

*

There were so many times Ginny had ended up facing Laura like that.

Especially

as she got older.

They were such difficult years.

They kept thinking she would

grow out of it.

They thought fourteen would be the worst age, then fifteen, then sixteen. Kept themselves sane by talking about what it would be like

to have a civil conversation again,

when she was

older.

But they never saw it.

She walked out of the front door one day and she never came back.

She was seventeen.

There was so much silence.

After all the noise. All the slamming of doors, and the shouting.

Laura had never been

violent, but

there was a lot of aggression,

a lot of upset.

They were always on edge. It was difficult to sleep.