The look of shocked terror and incredulity was totally unexpected, but there it was on Claire’s face. She had just nonchalantly asked me if I’d ever seen a real skeleton, and I’d just nonchalantly told her I had.
I hadn’t thought about my answer, because it was true and seemingly innocent. I tell her true things bluntly all the time.
What I hadn’t anticipated was what she saw in her mind when she thought of skeletons.
I pictured the skeleton we had hanging in our Biology room in High School. I pictured the skeletons I’d seen in museums. I pictured the skeleton used for scientific study in college.
Have I seen real skeletons? Yes. Yes, I have.
She, on the other hand, pictured skeletal creatures that walk and talk and scare people.
No, I haven’t seen one of those skeletons, because they don’t really exist outside of the movie clips she saw with Daddy on their last visit to Best Buy.
But, if Momma says she’s seen one, they’re real.
And there’s nothing you can say to change that.
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