Sienna The tension in the house was unbearable, like a thick fog settling over every room, seeping into the walls and pressing against my chest until it was hard to breathe. I had barely made it inside before I was accosted by my father. He was already waiting for me, planted in the middle of the living room like some immovable force, his jaw tight, his hands clenching and unclenching at his sides as he paced back and forth like a caged predator.

The moment my shoes touched the hardwood floor, ...