Chapter 4

After Mom realized she’d wrongly accused me, perhaps she wanted to smooth things over.

She offered to take Ethan and me shopping to clear our heads.

I nodded silently.

The handprint on my face still hadn’t faded.

People passing by gave us strange looks.

Mom seemed not to notice. She held my hand.

“Natalie, you know how I am.”

“I was wrong yesterday. Don’t take it to heart.”

I didn’t know what to say.

I’d stayed up late piecing together every page of the homework she had torn apart.

Even so, my math teacher had made me stand outside the classroom for two entire periods.

Mom knew nothing about any of it. “Will you forgive me?”

She repeated the question. Her grip tightened around my hand.

The sting in my cheek reminded me to answer quickly.

“It’s okay.”

That was what I said.

Mom smiled, satisfied.

Ethan started demanding food from a street vendor, and Mom hurried ahead.

While paying, she seemed to finally remember me. She turned back. “Natalie, do you want some?”

Before I could answer, she added,

“You’re so grown-up now. You probably don’t like this stuff anymore.”

The word “yes” stuck in my throat.

I couldn’t swallow it or force it out.

It lodged there until my chest hurt.

I looked away and tried to sound indifferent.

“No, thanks.”

By the time I said it, she was already coming back with Ethan.

There was only one serving.

“If you want some, you can share Ethan’s,” she said.

Ethan snatched it away and ran off.

“I’m not sharing with Natalie! It’s all mine!”

His voice carried back to us.

Mom said, “Little kids always act like their snacks are treasure.”

“As if his sister would actually fight him for it.”

I clenched my hands.

My very presence felt like a joke.