Chapter 1

Her palms began to sweat, and she felt a rapid acceleration in the beating of her heart. It appeared as though the cosmos was contracting both beneath her feet and over her head. She quickly made a U-turn and raced home to keep her reputation intact. She ripped open the front door, hurried inside, sprinted up the stairs, and slammed the door to her room, causing the entire house to shake. She was sitting down to read a book when she heard the sound of light footsteps climbing the stairs. With each step, the staircase creaked and dust was kicked out into the open air. After a gentle tap on the door, it opened in a measured fashion.

Her mother spoke to her in a soothing voice, asking, "Billy, are you okay? What's the matter?"

Billy gave a sorrowful shake of the head and then turned her attention to the tear-stained book she was holding, where the text had begun to smudge. The sound of her voice could be heard coming from her mouth.

She then turned her attention back to the book while saying, "I'm okay." The mother offered her child a shy smile before sneaking out of her room and discreetly locking the door behind her. She crawled into bed and hid herself behind the pink cover she kept there. The next thing she knew, she heard a roar reverberate off the walls and enter her room a few minutes later. Honey, your mother is calling for you to join us for supper downstairs."

She was so exhausted that she fell off the bed and into her blue and white patterned slippers. She dashed down the stairs and into the kitchen, where she saw a table that had been meticulously set for three people. The sound of her slippers lightly striking the tile floor could be heard as she moved over it. After a long and difficult day at work, she welcomed her father with kindness and warmth. They did what they did every other night, which was to sit down together.

"How was your day, Dad?" Billie expressed his curiosity.

"I'm OK," he said, regretfully. "And what about yours?"

Billy said, "Mine was excellent too," while making a conscientious effort not to bring the mood down any more.

As they continued to speak, Billie became increasingly aware that something was wrong with her mother. She went into denial for a significant amount of time before ultimately deciding to investigate the source of her unhappiness. In her response, she mentioned that she had a very hectic day ahead of her. Billy was aware that she was being harmed by something else, but she opted not to focus on the fact that she was in pain.