A triangle, just the shape of the tip of the iron — and it tells a different story

It’s a small white triangle on the inside of my right wrist,

an exact imprint of the tip of an iron. I was in a hurry that morning, and the iron slipped, or maybe my hand did, or maybe it’s just that my hand-eye coordination is off at that time of day.

I jerked my hand away, but it was too late.

I had no time for the miracle water cure I always use — keep a minor burn in water until it stops hurting, and it won’t leave any mark — so I smeared on some aloe vera gel and got back to my morning routine.

Trying not to get the aloe on the shirt, I finished ironing. It was an awkward morning. The aloe kept rubbing off on other things. My wrist started throbbing, but I had no time to tend to it. I had a bunch of kids I needed to get ready for school.

By the time everyone was on their way, the burn was a puffy, angry blister. It was an awkward shape that didn’t fit neatly under a Band-Aid, and was at the perfect place to keep getting brushed by the ends of my sleeves. I put creams and bandages on it, but they kept getting rubbed off along with the new delicate skin that grew as it healed.