Chapter 4
My counselor’s name was Ms. Parker.
She had a jar of peppermint sweets on her desk and a plant that kept leaning toward the window. I had been in her office twice before.
Both times, I told her I was fine.
Dad sat beside me while she explained the letter.
“I called the number listed for the household,” she said. “Claire answered. She told me Mark had received the letter and would arrange a meeting.”
Dad shook his head.
“I didn’t know.”
Ms. Parker looked at me.
“Ethan, do you remember talking about lunch?”
I nodded.
“What did you tell me?”
“That I forgot it.”
“Did you?”
“Sometimes.”
She waited.
I looked at Dad.
“Other times Claire said I didn’t pack it properly. She told me she wasn’t my maid.”
Dad pressed his hands together.
“Did you have money for the cafeteria?”
“I thought we weren’t allowed to spend extra.”
Ms. Parker’s face softened.
“We gave him lunch here when we noticed. I asked whether something at home was upsetting him. He said things were okay.”
“I was scared,” I said.
“What were you scared would happen?”
I could feel the answer in my throat.
“That Dad would think I wanted Claire to go because she wasn’t Mom.”
Dad turned toward me.
“You could dislike something she did without rejecting the whole family.”
“She said you finally had a happy home.”
His eyes closed briefly.
“You are part of my happy home.”
Ms. Parker gave us a few minutes.
Then she asked whether I wanted to talk with her alone.
I did.
Dad went outside without looking hurt.
That mattered more than I could explain.
When the door closed, I told her about the chores, my belongings, and Claire saying I could always wait because I had Dad.
Ms. Parker asked simple questions.
She did not tell me what to call it. She did not tell me to be braver.
She said adults were responsible for making sure children had food and felt safe speaking.
I had thought fairness was something I needed to negotiate.
By the time we left, Dad had arranged direct calls from the school. Ms. Parker would meet with me regularly. He also agreed to take me to a counselor outside school.
On the drive to June’s, my phone buzzed.
Claire had sent a message.
You’ve upset Lily and Mason. I hope you’re pleased with yourself.
I read it twice.
Then I handed Dad the phone.
He pulled into a parking space.
“Has she sent things like this before?”
“Not usually.”
“What do you mean?”
“Usually she says them.”
He saved the message and called her.
I only heard his side.
“Do not contact Ethan like that.”
“No, he isn’t responsible for the children being upset.”
“You can speak to me.”
He ended the call.
I waited for him to say I should not have shown him.
Instead, he gave the phone back.
“You did exactly the right thing.”
At June’s, I went upstairs and sat on the bed. I wanted Lily to know I had not forgotten her.
I wrote a message.
I’m not mad at you.
Then I stopped.
If Claire read it, Lily might get in trouble.
I showed June.
“We can ask your dad about a safe way to contact her,” she said.
Dad called Aunt Dana that evening. Dana was Claire’s younger sister. I had met her several times at holidays. She always brought board games and stayed in the kitchen to help clean.
He asked whether Lily wanted to speak with me.
Ten minutes later, Lily called.
“I’m sorry,” she said immediately.
“You already said that in your note.”
“Mom said you took the note to show everyone I was against her.”
“I didn’t.”
“I know.”
Her voice sounded small.
“Are you coming home?”
“I don’t know.”
She went quiet.
“I miss you.”
“I miss you too.”
Mason took the phone after her.
At first, he said nothing.
Then he said, “Your headphones aren’t broken.”
“I know. Dad gave them back.”
“Oh.”
I waited.
“I shouldn’t have taken them.”
“No.”
There was a long silence.
“Mom keeps saying the cake wasn’t a big deal.”
“It was my birthday.”
“I know.”
He sounded almost angry, but I did not think it was at me.
“Did you know I hadn’t had a piece?” I asked.
“Yes.”
That answer hurt more than if he had lied.
“Then why did you take another?”
“Because she said I could.”
I gripped the phone.
“That doesn’t make it okay.”
“I know.”
After we hung up, I sat beside June on the sofa.
“I don’t know if I want to forgive Mason.”
“You don’t have to decide today.”
Dad arrived later with a folder from the bank.
There had been several transfers from my savings account. Claire had helped with family bills using a login Dad gave her. He had never realized she could reach that account too.
The money had gone toward purchases for Mason and Lily.
Dad looked at me.
“I should have protected it better.”
I stared at the folder.
May you like
For years, Claire said I had enough because I had my father.
Now I wondered whether she had been taking from the one thing Mom left to help him care for me.
