Chapter 4
The officers asked Amanda what Lily meant.
Amanda said Lily misunderstood.
Then she said Lily was dramatic.
Then she said I had always been jealous of her daughter.
Then Dad asked one question.
“Where is Ethan’s suitcase?”
Amanda stopped.
I didn’t understand.
Dad walked past her into the house.
The officers followed.
So did Mrs. Keller, still holding Lily’s hand.
We went upstairs to my room.
My blue suitcase was on the bed.
Packed.
My clothes were folded inside.
My toothbrush.
My school shoes.
My stuffed bear from Mom.
On top of everything was an envelope.
Dad picked it up.
His name was written on it.
David.
He opened it.
I watched his face as he read.
First confusion.
Then horror.
Then rage.
“What is it?” Officer Reyes asked.
Dad handed it to her.
His hand shook.
She read aloud.
David,
I can’t keep pretending this is working. Ethan needs more help than we can provide, and I found a temporary placement that can take him while we focus on Lily and our marriage. I know you’ll be upset at first, but this is best for everyone.
Amanda
Temporary placement.
My ears rang.
I looked at my suitcase.
“Dad?”
He dropped to his knees in front of me.
“No. No, buddy. You are not going anywhere.”
“But she said—”
“No.”
He held my shoulders.
“No one is taking you from me.”
Lily began crying again.
“Mom was sending Ethan away?”
Amanda rushed forward.
“I was not sending him away. I was looking at options.”
Dad stood.
“Without telling me?”
“You wouldn’t listen.”
“Because he is my son.”
“And I am your wife.”
“Not after today.”
The words filled the room.
Amanda looked like he had slapped her.
I looked at Lily.
Her face went white.
Dad saw her and softened.
“Lily, come here.”
She hesitated.
Then ran to him.
He pulled her close too.
“I love you,” he said. “None of this is your fault.”
Amanda made a sound.
“What about me?”
Dad looked at her.
“You were willing to starve one child emotionally and send him away so you could pretend this family only had room for yours.”
“Our daughter,” she snapped.
“Our daughter,” Dad said. “And my son. Both children deserved love. You turned one against the other and failed both.”
Amanda cried harder.
But this time I noticed something.
She kept looking at the officers.
Not at me.
Not at Lily.
At the people deciding what would happen to her.
Officer Reyes found more papers in Amanda’s drawer.
Printed forms.
Emails.
A message to someone named Marcy at a private behavior program.
The program was three hours away.
Dad read one line and nearly tore the paper.
Child displays attachment issues and may need removal from blended family environment.
I did not know what attachment issues meant.
I knew removal.
Officer Reyes asked Amanda if she had legal authority to enroll me.
Amanda said, “I was going to convince David.”
Dad said, “No, you were going to ambush me.”
The officer asked if Amanda had ever denied me meals.
Amanda said no.
Then Dad played the recording from the device.
Amanda’s voice filled my bedroom.
He is not your real brother.
Your father isn’t here.
He has noodles.
I watched Amanda shrink as her own words came back.
Dad’s face looked like it hurt to hear them.
Mine hurt too.
May you like
But Lily reached for my hand.
And for once, I did not feel like the only one hearing the truth.
