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We spend the day spoiling my daughter, even paying a visit to Mr. Murphy. I would have preferred taking her anywhere else, but she has a thing for the old codger and despite his gruff communication style, he cares about Jinx as well.
We leave them in his den to work on the miniature village, and I take Zakiya into his kitchen to relay what happened after she left.
She vibrates with anger. I cup her shoulders, but she pushes me away.
“I told you this would happen. But no, you insisted your standing would protect her. Nothing will ever protect her from the kind of bullshit those students get away with or administrators like Dr. Jakob do.”
“No one could predict?—”
“I did, Sansone.”
“Okay, then tell me what school exists where some level of this won’t happen? I’ll sign Jinx up right now, even if it’s a public school. Tell me. Do we need to move? We live in Colorado. There’s no escaping it here, so where do we need to go? Or is the only solution to give her the tools to survive and overcome this type of treatment?”
Zakiya’s shoulders slump in defeat. “I don’t know, but it’s not fair that she has to carry the burden of everybody else’s shitiness.”
I pull her into my arms. “I know.” I kiss the top of her head. “But I don’t think homeschooling is a suitable alternative given Jinx’s muteness. She needs to socialize with other kids her age.”
“I agree… I just can’t stand to see her in pain. She’s already endured so much.”
“We’ll do our best for her, that’s all we can do.”
“What about the kid who destroyed her bear and bullied her?”
“I’ll take care of it.”
Zakiya pulls out of my arms. “You aren’t going to hurt a child, are you?”
“He touched my daughter.”
“He’s still a child.”
“And what would you have me do?”
“Discipline should come from his parents.”
I study her in silence. Of course, she would argue on behalf of a child. She dedicates her life to saving them from traffickers, saving them from my vengeance wouldn’t be a huge stretch.
“What if I promise not to do any permanent damage to the little fica.”
She angles her head and stares at me.
“Fine, I won’t touch him. But his parents are another story. Bullies raise bullies until they meet a bigger, badder bully. And I’ll make damn sure that little shit doesn’t look at another little girl and think he can do whatever the fuck he likes.” At Zakiya’s glare, I clarify, “By making an example of his parents.”
“I can get on board with that.” She takes my arm and drags me toward the den.
“All I was going to do was break the kid’s arm,” I grumble. “He would have survived.”
While watching Jinx lose herself in painting tiny houses and Mr. Murphy arrange and rearrange the well-crafted town, I receive a notice from the breeder that will put a huge smile on Jinx’s face. I glance at Zakiya. Hopefully, she’ll enjoy her surprise, too.
I leave the room to find Mattia. “A delivery is about to come to the house. Make sure you place it inside, then come back.”
Fifteen minutes after he returns, I gather my family and we say our farewells to Mr. Murphy.
“Is there a reason you rushed us to leave?” Zakiya asks.
“Sure is.” I smirk, already envisioning their reactions.
Jinx stares up at me, a tiny frown on her face for making her leave one of her favorite people while she was enjoying herself. Her willingness to show her displeasure warms my heart because weeks ago, she was too afraid to be anything but accommodating. As weird as it makes me, I’ll probably cry from joy the first time she openly defies me.
