Chapter 1 - THE BUTTON
Owen was already crawling toward Marissa when Beverly kicked him.
Hard.
His little body lifted sideways from the rug.
He landed near the coffee table with a cry so sharp Marissa felt it in her spine.
“Owen!”
She tried to get up.
Her left leg refused to cooperate.
Her crutch was against the sofa.
Too far.
Chloe screamed.
“MOM!”
Beverly turned.
The pickleball paddle was still in her hand.
Before Marissa could understand what she was doing, Beverly swung it.
The flat edge struck six-year-old Chloe high on the side of the head.
Chloe dropped to her knees.
Both children started crying.
Beverly stood in the center of the modest living room breathing hard.
Fifty-eight.
Perfectly styled hair.
Expensive cardigan.
The woman who had spent fourteen months telling everyone she was the only reason her dead son's family had not fallen apart.
She pointed the paddle toward Marissa.
“Two kids and a cripple. I am sick and tired of supporting this circus.”
Marissa dragged herself forward.
Her hip caught the edge of the sofa cushion.
Pain flashed down her leg.
She kept moving.
“Don't touch them.”
Beverly laughed.
“Look at you.”
Owen was trying to crawl again.
“Mommy.”
“I’m coming.”
Marissa reached the floor.
Pulled him against her.
Then Chloe stumbled toward them, one hand pressed against her head.
Marissa opened her other arm.
Both children collapsed into her.
She covered them with her body.
Beverly walked toward the side table.
“You want to know what I'm tired of?”
She grabbed Marissa's medication bag.
Dumped it.
Orange bottles rolled across the hardwood.
Pain medication.
Muscle relaxants.
Anti-inflammatory tablets.
Beverly grabbed the stack of unpaid envelopes underneath.
Electric.
Mortgage.
Physical therapy.
A pharmacy bill already marked past due.
She threw those too.
Paper scattered among the bottles.
“You’re already a cripple, and then you go and pop out these two burdens.”
Marissa stared at her.
“They were born before my accident.”
Beverly blinked.
Not because the fact mattered.
Because cruelty had made her careless.
Then she saw the crutch.
Beverly kicked it.
The aluminum crutch slid across the open floor.
Hit the opposite wall.
Owen screamed again.
Marissa pulled both children tighter.
“Stay behind me.”
Beverly stepped toward them.
“You're done.”
“With what?”
“My money.”
Marissa stared.
Beverly continued.
“No more mortgage.”
Another step.
“No more therapy.”
Another.
“No more pharmacy.”
“You said Jason's insurance—”
“Jason is dead.”
Beverly's voice snapped through the room.
“My son is dead, and I'm still cleaning up everything he left behind.”
Marissa's eyes went to the coffee table.
The package that had arrived that morning was still open.
Inside had been one of Jason's old effects devices.
A black metal box.
Countdown display.
Red switch.
A heavy push button beneath a clear plastic guard.
It looked exactly like something that should not be inside a house with children.
Marissa had barely examined it.
She had assumed one of Jason's former coworkers finally returned another box from his old storage.
Now Beverly saw where she was looking.
Her face changed.
“Don't.”
Marissa froze.
Interesting.
Beverly knew it.
“What is it?”
“Put it down.”
“I haven't touched it.”
“Marissa.”
Beverly stepped forward.
That was enough.
Marissa lunged.
Pain tore through her hip.
She caught the black device with both hands and pulled it into her lap.
Beverly stopped.
Marissa's fingers shook around the casing.
She lifted it toward Beverly.
“Take one more step and I’ll press the button.”
Chloe buried her face against Marissa's shoulder.
Owen was sobbing against her chest.
Beverly stared at the device.
All the color drained from her face.
“You don't know what that does.”
Marissa's breathing broke.
“No.”
That was the terrifying part.
She didn't.
Beverly whispered:
“Put it down.”
Marissa looked at her children.
At Chloe's swelling temple.
At Owen curled against her.
At medication scattered across the floor.
At the crutch Beverly had kicked away.
Then Beverly moved.
Half a step.
Marissa pressed the button.
BOOM!
The windows shook.
Chloe screamed.
BOOM!
Something rattled inside the walls.
Beverly dropped the pickleball paddle.
May you like
BOOM!
Everything went silent.
