Grown

In the present day, Enchanted stands in Korey’s penthouse as police knock on the door. She struggles to figure out what to do, and suddenly she hears her father call from the outside: “Enchanted? It’s Daddy. Please, baby. Open the door. Let us know you’re OK” (232).

In the past, Enchanted returns home and starts going through codeine withdrawals. She is sick for days, tormented by nightmares, and terrified of speaking to a therapist. Her mother buys her a new phone, but when Enchanted powers it up, a “wave of text messages floods [her] screen” (236), all from Korey. Korey seems to be everywhere, and even getting back into the swimming pool triggers intense memories of Korey’s abuse. Enchanted feels like “Trying to reclaim [her] life is a lot like drowning” (238), and she has a long road to recovery.

Enchanted feels like her father has been avoiding her, and she decides to ask him to trim her hair like before. Enchanted feels nervous and trapped in the small bathroom and has to remind herself that “It’s just Daddy [...] [She’s] home and [she’s] safe” (240). As she thinks about how worried and upset her parents must have been when she ignored their calls, she bursts into tears.