Pāhonoa te oro

For a second, I thought — maybe he would stop. Maybe he would turn it into a joke. Maybe— “I wish you were never born.” The words didn’t echo. They didn’t need to. They landed exactly where they were meant to. On me. And for a moment… everything slowed down. No one laughed. No one reacted. My stepm…

For a second, I thought — maybe he would stop. Maybe he would turn it into a joke. Maybe— “I wish you were never born.” The words didn’t echo. They didn’t need to. They landed exactly where they were meant to. On me. And for a moment… everything slowed down. No one laughed. No one reacted. My stepmother gave a small nod, like she agreed. My sister lifted her phone… and started recording. Recording. Like this was something worth saving. I looked around the table. Forty people. Forty witnesses. An