I need to know. I’m hoping I get something you’ve never been able to give me.

”She paced around the room, reaching for something to use as a fidget. They had never seen her like this.

Why didn’t I get to play and run and do all the things a kid was supposed to do? Huh?”

Her parents, stunned by the question, and also unsure how to approach a subject so broad, said nothing.

“Don’t just stand there actin’ like y’all can’t hear me! Why couldn’t you see I was scared and probably only needed a fucking hug or something? Why couldn’t you do that?”

“Sweetheart, we di–”, her dad started to say.

“No.” Her sobs cut through her words. “If you say one more time that you didn’t know something was wrong, don’t even finish your sentence. I’m sick of that answer. Try again! And if you don’t think I can handle the truth, I’ve spent the last 30 years seeking it from you, so now is your time to sing a different tune.” She took a deep breath and asked again, “I was scared. Why didn’t you see that?”

There was a long pause before she heard her mom say, “I don’t know.”

Her tears streamed down her face and onto her blouse. She stood there, staring for what felt like hours. Through trembling lips and red eyes, she whispered, “Ok.”

She picked up her phone, keys, and wallet off the coffee table. The drive from her childhood home to the hotel was 15 minutes. She could feel a stomach ache coming on, just like when she was little and the emotions were too overwhelming for her to feel. This time, it was followed by a calm that made her shiver on the exhale. At that moment she knew she was going to be alright, even without an answer from them to soothe her soul. It was the truth she needed to make her next move.

Her dark brown eyes turned ice blue as her black claws appeared. She’d been feeling the tingle in her hands for hours. Finally, she’d get relief but needed to be sure her car was out of sight. This time, the transformation would cause less pain. She knew that for certain.