“What did you say?”

“I wanted her to like me.”

“Oh, really. And this was a guaranteed way to do that?”

He just shakes his head.

“She never liked you, George, and I should’ve trusted her instincts from the start.”

“I know that, but I kept hoping she would. It doesn’t make any sense.”

“And you really thought that by touching my daughter and forcing her to do things to you, that that would make her like you more? Am I getting this right, George?”

“Somewhat.”

“Did you ever think about how she might feel because of what you were doing to her?”

“I thought she liked it.”

I reach for the bouquet to throw at him, but decide it’s not worth it. I grit my teeth and ball up my fist and back away from him. “You didn’t say what I thought you just said. Did you?”

“She could’ve stopped me.”

“How?”

“She could’ve said no.”

“You expect me to stand here and believe that she didn’t?”

“Look, Janelle. I don’t want to argue about this. What I did was despicable and I want to get help. I don’t like the side of me that did this.”

I fold my arms, wishing they were bats. “What if they can’t help you?”

“It doesn’t matter. I know the magnitude of what I’ve done. It was wrong, and I can promise you that it will never happen again.”

“And you expect me to believe you, just like that?”

“Yes.”

“Let me ask you something, George. Did you do this to your own daughters, too?”

“Absolutely not.”

“Oh, so my daughter was the prize, huh?”

“No, Janelle.”

“How about any other little girls?”

“No. Look, I’m just as shocked by my behavior as you are.”

“Really,” I say. I’m not sure if I believe him or not. Thieves have usually been stealing a long time before they ever get caught. I will certainly find out.

“Janelle,” he sighs, “do you really think I did this deliberately to hurt Shanice?”

“This isn’t just about Shanice, George.”

“Well, either of you?”

“You hurt us, all right. Big-time.”

“But I didn’t mean to. I swear it.”

There is a long silence. I’m sick of talking to him. Sick of listening. He’s not sorry. He’s worried. More worried about what might happen to him than he is about what’s going to happen to me and my daughter because of what he’s done. He has changed our lives forever. No matter how much I wish it weren’t true.

“And what about our promise to each other?” he’s saying, as I move toward the stairwell for no reason other than to get away from him.

“What promise?”

“To get through the bad times together.”

“This doesn’t exactly fall under the ‘bad-times’ category, George.”

“Then what about forgiveness?”

“Yes. Some things shouldn’t be forgiven.”

“Is that what you really believe, Janelle?”

“Some things are unforgivable.”

“So—you mean all the Sundays in church when Reverend Mitchell preached about forgiving the intolerable, all that meant nothing to you?”