Hidden Darkness
James was tired. After 15 years of taking care of Samantha, she had not changed all that much.
She looked different, unrecognizable even. Gone was the plain, chubby teenager. Samantha was slim, with a goth look. Short, black hair with an angular cut, dark, dramatic eye makeup and bright, red lipstick made her stand out. Her personality, loud and uninhibited made her stand out more. She could be a lot of fun.
What hadn’t changed was her unpredictability and her penchant for getting into trouble. Once again she had stopped taking her medication because of weight gain. She rollercoastered between reckless behavior and dark depression. He was used to her behavior after so many years, but somehow this time seemed different.
In particular, the call he received from the police had him worried.
“James, could you stop by the station this afternoon? I’d like to have a word about your wife.”
He went after work and found himself sitting across from officer Sanchez. They knew each other well.
“Hello, James. Good to see you.”
“I wish I could say the same, Javi. You have me concerned.”
“I apologize. I just recognize the signs and wanted to give you a heads up.”
