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2n I eta v►we� W7 t-" <br /> • �.�c�� X13 <br /> Napalm Butterflies <br /> He was holding me by my hair,dragging me across the floor. My hands folded beneath <br /> me and I collapsed onto my chest. Gasping for air, I once again try to tell him that I never saw <br /> any money.An angry, strangled noise erupts from him- and he yanked me by the back of the <br /> shirt, ripping the arm strap in half. I fell back to the floor with a thud. I instinctively curled up, <br /> balled fists covering my face and head. <br /> "Get up."he demanded, shoving me, "get up!" <br /> Then, suddenly, he was gone- looking out the window. I lay still,waiting,watching him <br /> peer out the window. Then he whipped around to face me again. <br /> "It's my folks!"his voice is a whisper, but his tone a yell, "Get up! Fix your shirt!" <br /> I unwrapped myself, not knowing what else to do, and dashed for the bathroom. I looked <br /> in the mirror first, searching for any tell-tale bruises on my face. I pulled off the old, ripped top <br /> and squeezed myself into one I found on the floor. It was sleeveless, camouflage with a sparkly <br /> red star on the chest.A gift from a friend,who gave me a bag of stretchy clothes when she heard <br /> that Pat spent the money I saved for maternity clothes on dope. <br /> I tugged the ridiculous shirt down over my still-swollen belly, embarrassed at my in- <br /> between pregnancy and motherhood body. My uterus ached with its new emptiness, my rug- <br /> burned hands and knees throbbed, and my heart wondered where to go. Pulling my hair up into a <br /> sloppy ponytail, I tried to prepare my self to talk to his parents-to his mother. <br /> "Hiiiieeee!" she shrieked in a giddy falsetto, descending upon me with a forced, stiff hug, <br /> "I'm so thrilled! Look at my grandson!" <br /> Xabien was still laying on the couch where 1 had set him. His face was contorted, a quiet <br /> mewling-the beginnings of a cry- issuing from his tiny mouth. I went to him,pulling him up and <br /> against my body. He squirmed against me, quieted, and fell back to sleep. <br /> "You look great!"Tom lied, smiling with his puffed up chest, he turned and cuffed Pat <br /> under the chin,his tone changing, "You going to start doing right now?" <br /> "Oh,Tom!"Mary clucked,bustling over to me,her wide face pushing between my chest <br /> and Xabien, slobbering affectionate kisses over his tiny head. It was the closest she had ever <br /> been to my body, and I instinctively stepped back. <br /> Pat clapped his hands together loudly and exclaimed,"Picture time!" <br />