The air smelled of summer rain and Cabel darts toward his house. He is soaked. He tries to keep himself from being drenched by using his backpack as an umbrella. He likes the pitter-patter noise of rain against the pavement. It soothes his nerves.

Cabel's mother recently died of heart failure, and his world seems surreal now. His father, Thomas, has changed completely. Thomas leaves wounds on his own son's flesh. Bruises fade; but Cabel knows that the memories will scar his mind forever. As an escape from the hitting and shouting, he goes outside and jumps and splashes in the puddles whenever it’s raining hard.

As Cabel darts toward the house now, he sees his father sitting on the porch stairs, with his face buried in his hands. When Cabel approaches, he is shocked to see his father is crying. Cabel's world is changing, and so is his father's.

Thomas emerges from the shadows, and takes Cabel in his arms and hugs him tight, whispering, "Sorry," repeatedly. Cabel still wonders what the future holds for him. But feeling safer in his father’s arms he hopes this will be a new beginning for them, and not the end.

© 2009 Kristiana L. Original for CCF. Kristiana grants CCF first electronic rights for one month; CCF may archive the material indefinitely and include it in an eBook anthology.

* CCF does not publish students' last names on the work they submit for publication.