I grabbed his finger, disturbed by how little I felt looking at the severed joint, and placed it in the baggie. Rubbing his hair, I shushed him soothingly. “It’s going to be okay,” I repeated like a prayer. “The ambulance is on the way.”

By the time we got to the hospital, it was too late. They were unable to reattach William’s finger, so they stitched it up. It wasn’t a huge loss, they said, you don’t use your pinky for anything.

Looking at William, stoic and strong, a little boy who was unfairly, prematurely made to be a man, I became furious with my parents. Why weren’t they taking care of us? Why were we taking care of ourselves? What else would we have to lose for them to pay attention?

Chapter 93

I stood by my hospital bed, dressed for the first time in weeks, wearing the clothes that William had brought for me. I had laughed when I initially opened the bag, pulling out my black T-shirt embroidered with the word anti-social.

I packed my few possessions and waited as William signed the paperwork. The nurse had opened the blinds of the window that morning, and as I peered at the outside world, I felt the slightest tinge of significance.

“Hey.” William was standing in the doorway. He smiled when he saw the shirt.

“You may be the only person darker than me in the entire universe,” I joked, gesturing to the embroidered words.

“I think it’s a pretty close tie.” He looked so small. Skinny and pale. I felt sorry for everything I had put my him through.

“I’m ready,” I announced, attempting to pick up the bag, forgetting about the stitches. I tried to hide the wince, but William was already there, tossing my bag over his shoulder.

He grabbed my hand and squeezed it gently. “Let’s go.”

With that caring touch, I was immediately brought back to childhood days spent at the pond by my house. My parents never taught me to swim, so I would just stay in the shallows. The floor was rocky and hurt the bottom of my feet as I stepped, bobbing with the movement of the water.

William sat on the shore reading as the water reflected the sun’s sparkle in a line that led directly toward him. I watched as he turned the page and took a bite from a peach. He and I were the only ones there. It was late in the afternoon and all the other kids had gone home for dinner.

Turning away from the shore, I glided from rock to rock, dragging my feet, hopping and counting. One, two, three, four, five, six—

The ground dropped, and I was completely underwater. Standing there, holding my breath, the world drowned out as I was swallowed by the lake. I felt strangely calm knowing that any minute, William would be there. I opened my eyes and let my head fall back to the sky. They stung as I absorbed the sight of blurring blues above me.