Born a Crime

Then out of nowhere, like a
clap of thunder when there were no
clouds, crack!, he smacked her
across the face. She ricocheted off
the wall and collapsed like a ton of
bricks. I’d never seen anything like
it. She went down and stayed down
for a good thirty seconds. Andrew
started screaming. I don’t
remember going to pick him up, but
I clearly remember holding him at
some point. My mom pulled herself
up and struggled back to her feet
and launched right back into him.
She’d clearly been knocked for a
loop, but she was trying to act more
with-it than she was. I could see the