29

Nick broke Lucille. But someone else came out from that. A wound that refused to heal from its constant reopening now a pure part of her. Lucille Lawes changed after that day. She didn't know it, but she was more like Nick now. Like a virus, he'd left parts of himself with her. Everyone knew it. And her new self was contagious. Absorbing Darin and lacey including Marvin... in a different way, but they didn't know that. The giggling and chuckling coming from her bedroom when she got back home was pleasant to hear, but it didn't make her smile. Walking in, Darin and Lacey were sitting on her bed while Sadey was by her dresser. Dumping pillows, towels and anything her tiny hands could grab in a pulled out dresser. "Darin, Lacey." They turned to her. "I told you to watch her not... watch her. She might hurt herself." She rushed to Sadey's side and picked her up off the ground.

"She's just rearranging mother. It's no big deal."

"It isn't?" She turned to them.