“Mommy… my face is burning!” The scream came before anyone understood what was happening. One second, my daughter was smiling beneath the Christmas tree. The next… she was crying, shaking, and clawing at her own skin while everyone in the room froze. The Christmas music was still playing. The fireplace was still glowing. The presents were still scattered across the floor. But suddenly…
The first thing my daughter said after opening the Christmas gift was not “thank you.” It was a scream. A scream so sharp and terrified that every Christmas sound in the house disappeared. The music playing softly from the television. The crackling fire in the fireplace. The laughter from relatives in the kitchen. All of … Read more