❝ she’s started to mumble , y’know , like she’s almost starting to talk . . . ❞ smile wide as letha adjusts her seat on the couch , resting her arms on the edge , watching her daughter play with her various toys on the floor . feet tuck close to her body , teeth chewing at the dead skin on her lips . since the day letha brought her home , she’d been trying her hardest to make sure the first words that were spoken were some variation of mommy . ❝ she better do it while you’re here or i’m gonna look real crazy . she sounds like a motor or something , it’s so funny . ❞