Goodbyes

That day when she went home in her beaten up and exhausted state, Grandpa Parker was extremely worried. Before questioning her, he called for a doctor who checked up on her, and after providing her medication for external injuries, he left.

After this, Evelyn asked, "Can I change schools?"

The desperation in her voice caught Grandpa Parker off guard. He was aware of how Evelyn felt troubled at school. But because of Evelyn's reserved nature, he thought it would make her feel uncomfortable. He waited for her to open up.

"Sure, you can, Dear. But what happened?" he gently asked.

That made her break down into tears. All the pain she had been holding in exploded as she cried and broke down in front of Grandpa Parker. Her words were barely coherent, but still Grandpa Parker was able to get the story behind it.

In the end, he felt equally angry and saddened that she had to suffer through this. He awkwardly pulled the child into a hug and patted on her back.

Evelyn cried until her head