Healed by the Super Power

was the bed on which the child lay, nothing close to a king-sized bed but comfortable enough for a child barely eight years. Beside the bed was a bedside table a

d probably dreaming, but the moment they stepped out Joan turned on her husba

," she exhaled. Her eyes

ed her down, but didn't seem to suffice this time. Her chest heaved with every breath and she folded her arms under her breast. Worry creased

aste it, hear it, and even feel it. It has been wrong for the past two years." She released her f

to them. He was suffering, she was suffering and most of all, their only daughter was suffering. Don opened his arms wide and tried to embrace Joan. People claimed that hugs had a

woman in a law firm, on her chair, in an office that oozed command, class, and confidence. Don was drawn to her the first day he set his eyes on her. It didn't matter if others or some set of humans claimed that love, at first sight,

get into. He got in trouble with one of the students and was sued by her parents. He needed legal advice on how to bypass the lawsuit or soothe the girl's parents and that explained how he ended up at the law firm that day. Don was also friends with the owner, they went to h

ngs. The action only propelled Don more. He went out of his way to greet her, give well wishes, and even offer to give her a ride to the court once in a while. Drake got tired of having

ntelligent student, it could have been all the three combined. Maybe it was, but no one could overlook the fact that Don was popular because he was a smart, sporty, and good-looking loner. To cap it all, he had

incingly argue that his rib cages had torn apart from the intensity. He arrived at the firm, close to the closing hours, and flew straight to his friend's office, simply bending his head to

uttered as soon as he closed the

al, staring illegally at her face and watching her work," Drake said, sneering at Don and managing a

forehead and the other gesticulating his every word. "What if she gets a restraining order against me?" He paused in his tracks and squeezed his face i

but she could if you keep up with the st

r office and the bright smile that settled on her face provided him the energy he needed to move on. He shouldn't have taken it as energy, h

A challenge pushed him further beyond his limits and that's what he chose to see in the answer Joan gave him that day. Don did stop one thing though. He stopped stalking her

same time, showering her with love in all spheres of life. He delivered flowers with her favorite fragrance to her doorstep- he found out the fragrance through one of her

f their marriage. Everyone said the universe had shone a smiling face on them. They both loved children and it made raising their firstborn child easy. Everything went smoothly. It got

ook a sharp turn off its rich course. Edith was getting sick often. It didn't end there. She was barely eating, barely interacting with humans, barely comm

ans were carried out in the hospital, and when they figured out exactly what was wrong with Edith, a thick cloud swallowed thei

planation for Joan's

ng black hair into a bun. Don started to undress, shying away from the looming argument he could sense with the tension that lingered between them in the room. After a few silent seconds, he walked over to his wife and

e sucked in a heavy breath and allowed

er her face. She was sitting on the edge of the bed, flipping through her phone. She

ld? It's been eight years since you didn'

rather die." She looked at him in the eyes as she muttered the last four words through her teeth. His muscles tensed but he

s sake. She needs a sibling, someone who looks up to her, someone to encourage her, someone to love her, someone with whom she'll grow up. Who knows? What if it hel

that a sort of miracle would occur and my baby would be fine. I've built hope upon hope, waiting and expecting, but nothing is happening. She's getting worse." The anger was back in Joan'

s going to be? I'm freaking frustrated. I can't do this anymore. I don't want to do this anymore. I don't want to take care of my eight-year-old child like she is still two years old. With this kind of trauma, you ask for another child? I can't." She sobbed. H

er arms, to her shoulder and hands, multiple t

if she doesn't get well ever again? There is no cure, and I can't st

miracle could still happen, just like you are hoping. Don't let go of hope." He held her face in his hands as he spoke every word. They were s

*

me person? Don came to realize the possibil

ut of self-defense. Several investigations showed that the woman was repeatedly abused by her husband for the number of years they were married. Doctors' reports couldn't be argued

h and nurturing her children in such an atmosphere? Why not end it as soon as she wanted to? But the irony was, that it was also plausible. The police retrieved a diary from the woman's belongings. The diary recorded bizarre manners she had armed her husband. The autopsy found trac

in a bid to protect her children and herself from future harm, self-defense. It would have been fine. Don would have congratulated his wife and celebrated her wins, but he overheard a conversation. One that shook him beyond his skin to the strongest of his bones. One that caused his heart t

knew he was an abusive man. To put an end to his oppression, she married him, submitted for several years, and then took the action she'd always planned to do. To her, she was doing humanity a huge favor. No one had to suffer from him anymore, she thought. The ill

where the fear erupted for Don. Since she knew the court would not accept, she decided to twist the situation and still get the woman acquitted

ery morning. Joan always had to resume early at work, she worked in the mornings and came back home before Don had to resume work. Don turned three hundred a

and walked into the room. He tiptoed to the windows, lifted the blinds, and slowly turned his eyes to look at his daughter stretching on the bed as a reaction to the light that illuminated the room. Her hands flew above her head and

e to convince himself that she was still his strong, smart, beautiful daughter. The smile still on his face, he launched forward, carried her, threw her in the air, and caught her steadily in his a

er seen all his life. Her black hair mimed her mother's, her brown eyes copied his. She had the most beautiful pink lips and glowing black skin. It didn't seem like she inherited it from eithe

d fever. She stopped eating as much as usual and didn't walk so much, preferring to remain seated for long hours of the day. She didn't say a lot,

d to do a lot of tests, brain, blood, and so on. He did a lot of scans too and it was agitating. Edith wasn't getting better and it seemed no one knew w

more the doctor explained, the more they wished they didn't know about the disease. One thing they both knew for sure was that their lives were never going to remain the same again. The bright future they hoped for got bleaker right in front of their eyes. Hope was further lost when the doctor said

nd for years, they believed that she would be fine, that she was fine. She was registered in an elementary school and her learning was fast. Teachers in her school also t

ld, she couldn't wash her teeth by herself, and she couldn't take her bath anymore. She was helpless without someone to help her. The situation in the ho

ears had cost them money, time, and almost, their jobs. Edith wasn't getting any better, couldn't get any better and if the doct

trying to communicate every reason why she was trying her best an

h who remained quiet throughout. It wasn't long before she was sleeping again. Don carried her back to the bed in her room and returned to do some chores. He gathered the laundry, loaded the plates in the dishwasher, and ironed some clothes that were previo

ecome dry and his lungs constricted, he couldn't breathe. He took in sharp breaths, gasp after gasp, but his insides clogged and his he

ou in a letter on the dressing t

wel and jewelry boxes were gone. In its place was a neat envelope. Don tore it open. It was housing a letter as Joan said.

y

make. My actions are justified, I am not being wicked, I told you in clear terms that I can't take care of Edith anymore. It is taking t

child. It felt like a dagger cut open his chest and jabbed direct

ose a family that drains me over myself and my work. I promise to support you and Edith with the new income I make at my new place of wor

y

o

his car outside the house, in the garage. As he stepped into the garage, he realized that he hadn't picked up his keys, he ran back into the house, retrieved the k

he dragged himself back into the house. He carried Edith with him back to the car and drove off to Joan's office. He kne

as willing to divulge any information even if they knew. Dejected

in the mode of her argument the night before and the way she argued for the woman who killed her husband was screaming at Don in the face. One t