TRUTH by Sherri Hayes

Everything from a simple cheeseburger with all the usual toppings, to something they called a Garbage Burger with an egg on it.  
    “They have a lot to choose from, Brianna. What kind of cheeseburger would you like?”
    She pointed to the classic cheeseburger at the top of the page. I had no idea if she’d even read the rest, but if that was what she wanted, then that was what she would get. I went for something a little more adventurous, a chipotle burger with jalapenos.  
    With our orders in, we walked over to the long bench along the wall and waited. Brianna kept looking around at all the people. I knew she was nervous, but she was going to have to get used to being around people to some degree. At least this way I knew she was safe. I had no idea if she’d be ready to go to school in the fall, but I wanted her to try. She needed to have some independence, some schooling she could use out in the world, even if she never used it.  
    About fifteen minutes later, the man approached us again, this time carrying two bags. Brianna cringed and stepped closer to me. I gave her fingers a squeeze before releasing my hold on her and taking the bags from the restaurant employee. She stayed glued to my side, rigid, until the man walked back behind the host podium.  
    “Number?” I leaned down to whisper in her ear.
    “F-four.”
    Shifting the bags to one hand, I made her look at me. “Only four?”
    She pressed her lips together and nodded.  
    I pulled her into my arms briefly, and kissed her. “Let’s go before our food gets cold.”
    The ride to the park was quiet. Brianna looked out the window. It was a beautiful day, and there were quite a few people out enjoying it. I knew the park wouldn’t be any different.  
    I made sure to park as close to where we were going as possible. Thankfully, there were parking areas inside the park itself, not just on the perimeter. Brianna was still unpredictable around people, and if we needed to leave quickly, I didn’t want to have to walk three blocks to reach the car.
    She didn’t say anything as I threw my suit jacket in the backseat and then grabbed the food and the blanket I kept in the trunk. I helped her out of the vehicle, balancing the food and the blanket in one arm, and laced our fingers together. It was a gorgeous spring day in Minneapolis, and I wanted to share it with her. I also thought it would be good for her to be around people in what I hoped was a less-threatening environment.
    I found a spot not far from the wading pond. We were close to the Mississippi River—I could hear the sound of flowing water in the distance—but it was out of view. If things went well, maybe we’d walk down to where we could see it after we ate.  
    First things first, however. I gave her hand a squeeze before releasing it and set the food down on the grass near the base of a large maple tree. Looking over the area, it looked level enough, and I spread out the blanket. She stood watching with her hands balled into fists at her side.  
    After straightening the blanket, I motioned for her to join me. She hurried over to sit down. I smiled and handed her the container with her sandwich.  
    We sat in silence for a while, eating. Brianna hadn’t relaxed. She would take a bite of her sandwich and then glance up, her eyes darting from side to side at all the people around us. The nearest person was over twenty feet away. I didn’t understand what had her so nervous unless it was the openness of the environment itself.  
    I sighed and reached for her, situating her between my legs, her back against my chest. As soon as we made contact, the tension began to release from her muscles. Even though I loved that my touch calmed her, Brianna needed to find strength within herself as well.
    “Close your eyes,” I whispered in her ear.
    It took her only a moment’s pause before she complied.  
    “Good girl,” I said, placing a kiss on her shoulder. “Now tell me what you