That’s it.

That’s all there was to it.

Goodbye.

I had to leave.

I couldn’t stay there anymore. He was crazy. I was crazy.

How could I say goodbye? How could I just pick up the pieces and just leave? I wanted to. I needed to. I was going to. I made up my mind. It was the last time he was going to scream at me, hit me, hurt me.

My hand rested on the cool brass doorknob. What was I waiting for? Christmas had already passed, and I had ten months until its return. No, I couldn’t wait that long. I was going to lose it by then. At least I still had my dignity for the moment. I turned the knob slowly with my last box of personal items tucked under my left arm. This was it. I was really leaving. When he came home I’d be gone and then he’d know what it feels like to lose.