for just one more taste of the monster?
 
 Where would I start?
 
 Where would I finish?
 
 How much to admit?
 
 How much to hide?
 
 How much to confess?
 
 Where would I find such nerve
 
 without crank to open my mouth?
 
 And if I did dig down deep enough to find it,
 
 would I crumble and weep?
 
 Would she?
 
 The Kitchen Was Warm
 
 and carried a scent
 
 of hot butter, wrapped
 
 in cinnamon.
 
 It reminded me
 
 of when I was little.
 
 Before Jake.
 
 Before Scott.
 
 Despite Dad.
 
 Back when I still believed
 
 Mom was the perfect mother.
 
 She, Leigh, and I were the trinity.
 
 We baked together.
 
 Canned together.
 
 Planned together.
 
 Plotted birthdays
 
 and holidays around
 
 homemade gifts
 
 that didn’t cost much