a word, I untied the belt around my cover-up.

My mother covered her mouth.

My father closed his eyes.

Then I slowly let the fabric fall to the ground.

A wave of horrified gasps swept across the backyard.

The left side of my body was covered in thick burn scars stretching from my shoulder across my chest, down my arm, and along my waist. Some had faded over the years, but many remained twisted and unmistakable, silent reminders of the fire that changed our lives forever.

No one laughed.

No one moved.

The only sound came from the microphone slipping out of Chloe’s hand and hitting the stone patio.

She stared at me in complete disbelief.

“What…”

“What happened to you?”

For several seconds, I simply looked at my sister. Then I bent down, picked up the microphone, and answered in the calmest voice I could manage.

“You did.”

The