I locked my wife in the pantry under the stairs

calling my father a deserter who deserves the dark.

The paramedic reaches Emily.

I try to step closer.

Emily turns her face away.

I stop.

That is the second punishment. Not the police. Not the truth. The fact that my wife is in pain, and I am one of the reasons she does not feel safe.

The paramedic asks her questions. Pain. Dizziness. Bleeding. Pregnancy.continue reading …