A Mothers Gut

Hir gut dropped beneath hir feet, so she had to step over it to walk past cop cars, Winnie the Pooh paintings and pre-school administrators. “In here please.” She met the gaze of each of them but there was nothing there for hir, not even a spark of interested suspicion.

“Where’s my daughter?”. Eyes shifted down a long corridor. “She’ll be placed in a group home tonight until we can find a placement for hir.” She had no words. Marks rushed back to hir. On the cheek, the neck. She should have known. Should have known that a little girl doesn’t turn clumsy just when mother is away.

“I want to see hir”. She watched them see-saw with hir fate, hir next few minutes. “May I see your hand please? Raise it and spread your fingers.” She did. Eyes darted the distance between pinky and thumb. It wasn’t wide enough, that space. Could not have left the iridescent finger prints on pretty girl pink skin. “Right this way.”

There were no tears. Instead their eyes met as equals, they always had. Except the truth always got to be hir secret.” I just came in to give you a hug. You’re going to go to camp for a bit, ok?” There was no movement in hir daughters eyes. “Ok.” … “I’ll see you soon ok.” …. “Ok.” And that small back turned, so straight for someone so small, knowing that if she bent, it would break hir mother.