Thursday Afternoon
December 17, 1970
- Abby makes a house call to Lily Norene. Her childhood friend's husband has beaten her again, and Lily doesn't look good. Her hand's all twisted, her face is all bruised, and her husband often rapes her when he beats her, too, leaving her with five kids after five years of marriage. To say the least, Lily is pretty broken at this point.
- Abby isn't sure what to do. Lily explains why she can't call the cops—they don't take women seriously—but Abby encourages her to figure out a way to get the heck out of there, if only so her daughters don't spend their entire childhoods watching their mother get beaten.
- In a truly depressing moment, Lily insists there's love between her and her husband, and because of this, she doesn't want him gone. She just wants him to change.
- Abby leaves, carrying the problem of what to do about Lily's situation with her, and promising to come back before long.