My eyes filled not only because Rick had said the right thing, but because somebody had finally refused to let it stand. After months of absorbing everything quietly, that hit somewhere I’d been guarding too hard.
Jules touched my elbow. “Come with me for a second, Anna.”
Before I moved, Cindy’s voice cut across the room. “She was acting helpless for attention.”
I turned before fear could stop me. “I have three five-year-olds at home. I work here all day and clean office buildings some nights. I come in on a prosthetic because my kids need food and I need health insurance. I don’t have the time or energy to perform anything for attention.”
Cindy stared at me. Rick didn’t look away. The rest of the café went quiet.
“She was acting helpless for attention.”
“I’m not weak because I need a second to steady myself,” I added. “I’m just trying to earn a paycheck without being treated like my body turned me into less of a person.”
An older woman near the line whispered, “That’s right.”
Someone else said, “Amen!”
Cindy looked away.
Jules handed me an extra staff shirt in the back room. My hands shook while I changed. I stood at the mirror and still recognized the woman staring back.
