Dad, No One Will Laugh at You Anymore
He passed them to each of the kids one by one, and the room buzzed with laughter and thank-yous.
I stood at the back, clutching the hem of my shirt, a sick feeling building in my stomach.
Something bad was going to happen. I could feel it. It did. When Uncle Ray reached me, his hands were empty.
He blinked, embarrassed. “Kellen, I am sorry. I miscounted this time and came up one short. I will make it up to you later, okay?”
My whole body started to shake. I knew what was coming. Dad was going to lose it, and those words were going to come out of his mouth.