When she was 6, her dad called her a bitch and then hit her so hard, she was hospitalized. He went to jail. India would spend much of her life convinced she was unlovable. She made a vow then – she’d never trust anyone – ever.
When India was twenty-six, she stood next to her father’s bed in an ICU room, with a dirty floor. Machines kept him alive. She said, “It’s okay. I love you. I forgive you. It’s okay to let go.” He let go.
She made another vow not to let him take another day from her.
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I ran into a writer on Substack that does writing prompts for short fiction. This was a prompt for 100 words and the subject was “vows.” I may join in again in the future as it’s a good exercise.
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