Suspicions

In the Land of No

Suspicions.   

That's what Ma had for weeks, but she never had any solid proof to confirm them.  She would routinely talk about them over dinner, but that's all they ever were--suspicions.

But then one day last week, I got sloppy and Sister caught me. I didn't expect her to come home early that day.

She caught me climbing up the basement stairs; she caught me leaving the "Land of No."

Why was I down in the Land of No?  Why did I ignore the plethora of muddy sneakers and dirty laundry down there?

I'm not going to say.

All that remains are...

Suspicions.