Cassia lay in her bed, softly crying. That in itself was nothing new; her life was one of torment and self incrimination. She had been a bright bubbly teenager, then at 18 she became as she was now. That was when she had been brutally beaten, raped repeatedly and beaten until she almost died. After they were finished with her they had tried to kill her, and it might have been more merciful if they had succeeded. The men responsible had been caught, tried and put in prison. That was their punishment; hers was never being able to forget. She just had to close her eyes, and she would relive that terrible day, she could see them, hear them, and what was worse, she could feel them.
Her friends couldn't handle her pain and had deserted her. She couldn't bear to sleep alone so her mom and dad had let her sleep with them thinking she would get over it, she hadn't. When the doctor told her that the she could never have children, her mother blamed Cassia. Her mom and dad had terrible fights about her and her mom had finally just left.
The psychiatrist she had been seeing said she would get over it, but she still cried all of the time. Her red hair wasn't as shiny, her blue eyes not as bright. The only person she could count on was her dad; he alone still stood by her. Other than to see the doctor she hadn't left the house in a long time. She had no outside contact except the television. She wouldn't answer the phone or the door. If she needed anything she had her dad get it and bring it home.
The door opened, and her dad walked in. They didn't even pretend she had her own bedroom anymore. She watched as her dad sat down on the bed next to her, he had a strange look, "Dad?"
"I've decided to change how I've been treating you. Because of the doctors, I've been using kid gloves. Being as you're not getting better, I think it's time for something else."
"Like what?" Her eyes bulged out of her head, she felt him grab her and the tickling began. She screamed, laughed and pleaded trying to get away from his fingers. By the time he stopped she had tears of a different kind.
He smiled down at her, "That's the first time I've heard you laugh in a long, long time. I like hearing that."
Cassia frowned and looked away, "I'm sorry you're ashamed of me."
"Where in the world did you get the idea I was ashamed of you?" She started to choke up again, and he fussed at her, "Don't start crying again."
She shook her head, "All right," and took a deep breath, "It's my fault I got raped."
"What the fuck are you talking about?" Cassia stared at him in shock; her dad had never cussed at her before. "If I remember correctly, you were where you were supposed to be, doing what you were supposed to be doing. Exactly how is it your fault?"
"Well...ah...oh, I don't know, it just is."
"You're so full of shit your eyes are brown."
She gave him a half smile, "My eyes are blue."
He smiled back, "That just means you're a quart low." Cassia started giggling. "I love to hear you do that."
She got sad again, "Mom left because of me."
"That is so much crap. Your mother and I were headed for splitting up long before anything happened to you, young lady."
Cassia got a look of astonishment, "I didn't know, you two never said anything."
"The children are not usually consulted when the marriage is breaking down. You're mother didn't leave because of you, she left because of me."
Cassia watched her dad get up and go over to the dresser. He picked up her hair brush; making her sit up, he sat back down on the bed behind her. She felt him start to brush her hair. She had never had a guy do that, the last time she had actually gone to a beauty parlor, her beautician was a woman. It felt wonderful and she started to relax immediately. They didn't talk. She knew her dad was simply trying to make her feel better. Even if it didn't actually help, it felt great. Not having been to the beauty parlor in years, she would have her dad help her cut off the split ends and her hair was down to her waist. He had to make long strokes to brush it.
"Did mom let you do this to her?" She felt him stiffen, he never talked about her.
He let out a sigh, "Not really, I tried it once but she felt it was strange," then he whispered, "She thought I was strange."
Cassia had closed her eyes and was thoroughly enjoying herself. She mumbled under her breath, "Mom was an idiot." Her dad always tried to help; he never pushed or got mad, and was always gentle." What her dad was doing made it impossible for her to cry, but that didn't mean the hurt wasn't there, "I know she blamed me for what happened. She was disappointed in me when she found out I can't have children."
"Cassia, what did I get off of the dresser?"
"You got my hair brush."
"So it was just minding its own business. It was where it was supposed to be, doing what it was supposed to be doing, and it had no control if I picked it up or not?"
"No."
"I'm brushing your hair with it, but if I beat it up and threw it across the room is it the brushes fault or mine?"
"It's yours. Look dad, I see what you're getting at, and I know all of that, but I just can't seem to stop thinking about it." They sat in silence, him brushing her hair, her enjoying it. "Dad, if everything you are saying is true, what did mom want that she didn't have with us?
He put the brush down, and reached around his daughter to hug her. He just held her, and buried his face in her hair, "She wanted a man."
Cassia was bewildered, because several things had happened at the same time.
First, her dad's hand had scraped across her breasts when he reached around to hug her. She knew he hadn't meant anything by it and should ignore it, except that it had felt good. Her nipples had reacted to that brief touch. It was a shock, because it was the first time she had felt pleasure like that in a long time. She hadn't even touched herself since the rape.