Before I could challenge the explanation, Derek shouted for his drink again. Sarah flinched, and that reaction frightened me more than the marks themselves.Daughter gift ideas
When we returned to the living room, Derek had paused his game because he had noticed a small scuff near the baseboard. Instead of cleaning it himself, he pointed toward a scrub brush and looked at his heavily pregnant wife.Home cleaning services
“I said clean, Sarah. Not spread dirt around. You want dinner? Earn it. Miss a spot and you don’t eat.”
Tears gathered in my daughter’s eyes as she awkwardly tried to lower herself toward the floor. That was enough, so I walked directly to the entertainment center and pulled the power cord from Derek’s console.
The television went black, the gunfire stopped, and for the first time since I entered the house, there was silence. Derek jumped from the couch.
“You crazy old fool! Do you know how much that costs? That was a ranked match!”
He rushed toward me, apparently believing youth and size would intimidate me as easily as shouting intimidated Sarah. He swung wildly, but decades of training returned before I consciously thought about them, and within seconds, his attack had been stopped and his confidence had disappeared.
I looked directly into his eyes.Marine Corps apparel
“Listen carefully, maggot. Boot camp starts now.”
Derek went silent. Behind me, Sarah slowly lifted her head, and for the first time that afternoon, my daughter was no longer staring at the floor.
