My Cardboard Balcony

They Held Me Back by Belinda Roddie They held me back, pinning my arms against my sides, so I couldn't strike the bastard who had tried to assault my fiancée. Although I struggled and tried very hard to free myself, my friends would not let go; they were much stronger than I was. My love tried to tell me it was okay, that I would not make things better by attacking the monster who had hurt her. I snarled and I spat, I frothed and I seethed, yet I knew that she was right, and all my friends were right to stop me from doing something that I'd regret. I drove home, and I bit my lip to stop angry words as they dared to slip.

"How's the soup?" "Bland." Sara made a face. "And slightly burnt, too. Seriously, who made this?" I sighed. "My mother's always wanted to be a better cook than my dad was," I explained, hiding my lips behind the lip of a beer tankard. The ale was the only thing adding flavor to this hapless meal. "After he died, she kept trying new recipes. All of them failures. I admire her for making the attempt, but..." "It's something, at least. Food is something," said Sara, inhaling sharply as she reached for her glass of wine.