The party never really started again.
People continued standing around the dining room, but nobody touched the cake.
My father tried to make a joke about the situation.
Nobody laughed.
He adjusted his watch and walked toward the kitchen.
Then he came back.
He seemed unable to decide where he wanted to stand.
Grandma stayed beside me.
My aunt sat on the other side of the sofa.
She offered me a small napkin because my eyes were wet.
I took it.
"Thank you."
She touched my shoulder.
"You don't have to be polite right now."
I looked at her.
That made me cry harder.
Dad heard it.
"See? This is exactly what I mean. She gets emotional, and everyone starts believing the worst."
Grandma turned.
"Stop blaming her for crying."
He shook his head.
"I've done everything for this family."
Nobody answered.
He looked around, waiting for someone to agree.
His older brother finally spoke.
"Then tell us what happened."
Dad looked irritated.
"I already told you."
His brother folded his arms.
"Not clearly."
Dad walked toward the dining table.
He picked up his glass, took a drink, and put it down again.
Grandma watched him.
Then she asked my aunt to bring her handbag.
My aunt went to the chair where Grandma had left it.
I noticed Grandma taking out her phone.
She didn't immediately make a call.
Instead, she looked at my bandages again.
"Sweetheart, when were these put on?"
I looked at my wrists.
"This morning."
"Did anyone help you?"
I nodded.
"Dad."
My father quickly interrupted.
"I told you she was injured."
Grandma continued looking at me.
"Did he take you somewhere to have them checked?"
I shook my head.
Dad's expression changed.
"She didn't need a hospital."
Grandma looked up.
"Who decided that?"
"I did."
The answer came too quickly.
Grandma didn't respond immediately.
She looked toward my aunt.
"Would you please help me find a quiet room where she can sit comfortably?"
My aunt nodded.
Dad stepped forward.
"She's not going anywhere."
Grandma stood.
"She needs somewhere quiet."
"She's staying with me."
Grandma looked directly at him.
"She can stay with me while we make sure she's safe."
He laughed without humor.
"You can't just take my daughter."
Nobody moved.
I had never seen Dad look so uncertain.
Grandma didn't argue about who had authority.
She simply said she wanted the injuries checked by a medical professional.
My father objected.
He said the bandages were already clean.
He said the bruising would fade.
He said I needed sleep.
Every answer sounded like another reason to avoid taking me anywhere.
My uncle finally spoke.
"Let the doctor decide."
Dad looked at him.
"Stay out of this."
My uncle didn't move.
I watched their faces.
They were brothers, but neither seemed willing to look away.
Grandma picked up her handbag.
Then she looked at me.
"Would you like to come sit somewhere quieter?"
I nodded.
She helped me stand.
As I got up, Lily slipped from my arms.
She fell onto the carpet.
Her remaining arm landed beneath her body.
I bent down quickly.
"Sorry, Lily."
Grandma picked her up.
She examined the broken doll carefully.
"Has she been like this for long?"
"Since yesterday."
Grandma looked at me.
"Did you try to fix her?"
I nodded.
"I couldn't."
She handed Lily back to me.
"That's all right. We can look at her later."
I held the doll close.
For some reason, that promise made me feel better.
We moved toward the hallway.
Dad followed us.
"Mom, I want to talk to you."
Grandma stopped.
"You can speak here."
"Not in front of everyone."
She looked at him.
"Then perhaps you should have thought about that before hiding your daughter in front of everyone."
He stared at her.
I had never heard those words spoken to him.
We entered the small sitting room near the hallway.
It was quieter there.
The birthday music sounded distant.
My aunt brought a blanket and placed it over the sofa.
Grandma sat beside me.
She asked whether I was cold.
I shook my head.
Then she looked at my cheek again.
"Does this hurt when you touch it?"
I nodded.
"Does your head hurt?"
"A little."
My aunt looked worried.
Grandma immediately decided we needed medical attention.
Dad stood in the doorway.
"You're turning a small injury into a family emergency."
Grandma didn't raise her voice.
"Then you should have no problem letting someone examine her."
He looked away.
My aunt called for a car.
Grandma stayed beside me while she waited.
I could hear Dad speaking to my uncle in the hallway.
Their voices were low.
I couldn't understand every word.
But I heard one sentence clearly.
"She doesn't know what she's saying."
I looked at Grandma.
She was listening too.
Then she gently covered my hand with hers.
"You don't have to explain everything today."
I wanted to ask whether she was angry.
I wanted to ask whether she would still love me if I had made a mistake.
Instead, I asked something else.
"Will Lily come with us?"
Grandma smiled faintly.
"Of course."
I looked down at the doll.
One arm was missing.
Her painted smile was still there.
A few minutes later, the car arrived.
My father stepped into the sitting room.
"You're not taking her anywhere without talking to me."
Grandma stood.
"We are going to have her examined."
"I'm her father."
"And I'm her grandmother."
He looked toward the hallway.
Several relatives were still there.
Nobody stepped forward to support him.
Grandma took my hand.
My aunt picked up my little bag.
I followed them toward the front door.
Dad didn't stop us.
But he didn't wish me well either.
That was when I realized something.
He was more worried about what people thought of him than whether I was hurting.
The thought stayed with me all the way to the car.
Click here to continue reading: PART 4: On the Way Away From the Birthday Party, Grandma Made One Promise, and I Finally Understood Why She Had Never Looked Away
My Father Wanted a Perfect Birthday Photograph, but He Had Forgotten That One Person in the Room Always Noticed the Things Everyone Else Ignored
Part 3 of 20
