He does something to me, that boy. Every time. It’s his only detriment. He steps on my heart. He makes me cry.

She took a step and didn't want to take any more, but she did.

A DEFINITION NOT FOUND
IN THE DICTIONARY
Not leaving: an act of trust and love,
often deciphered by children

No matter how many times she was told that she was loved, there was no recognition that the proof was in the abandonment.

She looks at the swings, and I can see she’s imagining what they’d look like if the kids weren’t there. The guilt of this holds her down momentarily. It appears to be there constantly. Never far away, despite her love for them.

I realize that nothing belongs to her anymore and she belongs to everything.

The only thing worse than a boy who hates you: a boy that loves you.