I Died a Little Every Night

Wrapping his hand around Angel’s hand, he pulled her out of the bed. On the way down the stairs his hand started to squeeze hers. Then he began to rub the back of her hand with his thumb. She wanted him to let go, but every time she tried to pull her hand away he gave her a glance - one that frightened her. Angel finished going to the bathroom, came out, and saw Leon sitting on the couch. He tapped his leg and made the gesture for her to come sit on his lap. She refused at first and told him that she wanted to go back upstairs. “Now come on, I need to talk to you about your mom,” he said tapping his knee again. She started towards him and focused her eyes on a big picture of John Cougar Melloncamp hanging on the wall above his head. He reached for her and asked her for a kiss. She gave him one on the lips, one that a six- year- old would give her new step daddy. “Give me a good one,” he said. “What do you mean?” she asked. “Come here Angel give me a good kiss,” he ordered and pulled her sixty pound little body onto his lap holding her cheeks and putting his lips on hers and his tongue in her mouth. His rough hand made its way between her legs grabbing and squeezing her thigh. “Move your tongue around in my mouth” he said. “Don’t tell anyone our secret.” Then they walked upstairs to bed and went to sleep. There were more and more of those kisses when Angel was just six.