“Alvin sweetheart, are you alright?” she asked from outside the shower.

“Mom, I don’t ever want to go back there again!” I whimpered.

She didn’t try to argue the case with me. Instead she asked, “Will you need help getting ready for bed?”

Shaking my head I said, “No, I can do it myself.”

Before she left me alone she instructed me to, “Be sure that you use the rash cream. Alright?”

I had to swallow hard before I was able to answer with, “Okay.”

I stood under the running water until I’d quit crying and stopped feeling sorry for myself. I think I was in there for nearly an hour. When I came out the mirror was completely fogged over and the bathroom was filled with a fog of steam that was thick enough to swim through.