There was, in truth, only so much ‘She’s teaching me my letters,’ could excuse. Smith was amazed it had lasted this long. It had gone off like a firecracker and Pa had swung to hit her but she’d stepped aside and maybe he’d seen the look in her eyes because then he’d just walked right out, her mother after him, with one last awful look over her shoulder. So. She was officially a disappointment. She wanted to laugh, she wanted Twilight, and most of all she wanted home, but that was all too difficult, so she started to cry instead.