Dr. Marshall continued.
“She said her brother brings crackers.”
Damon covered his face.
“I didn’t know.”
“I understand.”
“No.”
He lowered his hands.
“I should have.”
Dr. Marshall did not reassure him automatically.
He appreciated that.
She said:
“You know now.”
It sounded insufficient.
It was also true.
“What do I do?”
“First, restore normal access to food.”
“Yes.”
“Second, no moral language around hunger.”
“What does that mean?”
“No good appetite, bad appetite, earned snacks, failed meals.”
Damon nodded.
“Third, both children should speak with a child therapist.”
“Already arranging.”
“And Renee needs help too.”
His jaw tightened.
Dr. Marshall noticed.
“Not because what she did was acceptable.”
“I know.”
“But because if she remains in their life, simply punishing her does not teach her what happened.”
Damon looked away.
“She slapped a five-year-old.”
“Yes.”
No softening.
“And she is still their mother.”
That was the complication.
If Renee had been a nanny, Damon could fire her.
If she had been a girlfriend, he could end the relationship and remove access.
She was Ava and Noah’s mother.
The children loved her.
Feared her.
Needed distance from her.
Missed her already.
All at the same time.
There would be no clean exit.
At home, Noah sat on the kitchen counter eating a turkey sandwich.
Damon had offered him a plate.
The boy chose the counter.
Ava sat beside him with yogurt.
No chart.
No points.
No questions.
Damon opened the snack bin.
He removed the label.
Then put the container on the pantry floor.
“Eat when you’re hungry.”
Noah stared.
“Anything?”
“Within reason.”
“What does that mean?”
“No entire box of cookies.”
“We don’t have cookies.”
Damon looked inside.
He was right.
“Grandma.”
Denise appeared in the doorway.
“What?”
“Buy cookies.”
She raised an eyebrow.
“You’re overcorrecting.”
“Probably.”
Noah laughed.
Damon smiled.
Normal.
He wanted normal so badly it hurt.
Then Ava asked:
“Is Mom coming home?”
The kitchen changed.
Damon sat beside her.
“Not today.”
“When?”
“I don’t know yet.”
She looked at her yogurt.
“Is she in trouble?”
“Yes.”
Noah looked up.
“With police?”
“No.”
“With you?”
“Yes.”
Ava whispered:
“Because of me?”
Damon’s answer came immediately.
“No.”
“But if I didn’t get yogurt—”
“No.”
He moved closer.
“The problem was not that you wanted yogurt.”
“If I sat down—”
“No.”
“If I didn’t say Daddy lets me—”
“No.”