I sat at the table as Marilyn was preparing the coffee and I wouldn’t take my eyes off of her. I was afraid that I would get a coffee mug thrown at me for some reason if I took my eyes off of her.

I needed to be on guard at all times around this woman. More now than ever before. She’d never been nice to me before. But now she was making me a coffee and she was being really nice for some reason. I was getting worried.

“Ella. You didn’t answer my question.” Marilyn said, looking over her shoulder. I had to think for a minute at what...