My Mother’s Boyfriend Beat My Nine-Year-Old Brother With a Belt—Then a Stranger Called Our Kitchen Phone and Said, “Stay Away From the Kids”
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Chapter 18 / 27
Chapter 18 - Ethan stopped painting
That hurt more than I expected.
For weeks, Ethan refused art class.
Green paint especially.
His teacher called Mom.
Therapist asked:
“Why no painting?”
Ethan shrugged.
Finally:
“Paint made Gary mad.”
That sentence destroyed Mom.
The therapist corrected carefully.
“Gary chose what he did. Paint didn’t make him do it.”
Ethan said:
“But if I didn’t spill—”
“No.”
Again.
“If I didn’t—”
“No.”
Eventually the therapist had him paint one small green square.
Nothing happened.
Next week:
A tree.
Then:
May you like
A frog.
The color became color again.
