The Break

Stella sits at her kitchen table with two police officers. It’s early morning and still dark out. She looks down at her hands, which appear older than her age. Her mother’s (Rain) were that way too, and her Kookom’s (her grandmother). The younger of the two officers, Officer Tommy Scott, asks Stella to go over her story again. Does she have any more details to share? On the verge of tears, Stella shakes her head. She looks out her window at the Break, which is covered in blindingly white snow.

Stella called 911 four hours ago. She had finally gotten her kids to bed and was having trouble falling asleep when she looked out the window and saw what looked to be a young woman being attacked by a group of men. For a while, the woman lay there motionless, but then she got up and stumbled away. Now, Stella is ashamed to admit that she didn’t go out to help the woman. The officers ask Stella to describe the assailants, and she struggles to remember. She thinks they were wearing dark, baggy clothes—dark jackets. One man had a long, black braid. Stella is nervous—it feels like the officers are trying to trick her.

Stella’s husband, Jeff, comes home just then, to Stella’s immense relief. Officer Scott explains that Stella called them to report an assault outside the house. Stella is certain it was a rape, but the officers are less sure—it would be extremely unusual for rape to happen outdoors in the winter, and there was a lot of blood. Jeff stands by Stella and tries to comfort her, but she doesn’t feel much better. She wants to call her Kookom so Kookom can comfort her, just like she’s always done. She imagines Kookom asleep in her moldy but comfortable basement apartment a few blocks over.

Officer Christie, the older officer, gets up then and says he’ll let Stella and Jeff know about any developments, then he and Officer Scott leave. Alone, Stella begins to seethe as she cries, suddenly furious at the detached politeness of the White officers. She tells Jeff she’s sure about what she saw. Jeff tells her he believes her, but he also suggests that maybe Stella dreamed part of it—she hasn’t been sleeping well with the new baby, Adam, being so fussy. Stella’s anger deepens. “I’m not crazy,” she tells her husband flatly.

Feeling resigned, Stella tidies up the kitchen and readies the coffee for “the real morning.” Jeff gets ready for bed. By the time Stella joins him, he’s fast asleep. Kookom is probably awake already, Stella thinks. It’s been far too long since she’s called Kookom, and she feels guilty about it. But Stella just can’t bring herself to call her—all she can do is hide under the covers.