“Ava.”
The girl swallowed.
“I ate my chicken.”
Damon glanced at the plate.
Most of it was gone.
“And?”
“I ate broccoli.”
“Yes.”
“And corn.”
“Okay.”
“And I was still hungry.”
Damon nodded.
“So?”
“I asked for bread.”
Ava pointed toward the basket.
“She said no.”
“Then?”
“I asked why.”
Renee spoke.
“And then she started arguing.”
Damon held up one hand without turning.
Ava continued.
“I said Daddy lets me eat if I’m hungry.”
Renee’s mouth tightened.
“And?”
“She said you weren’t here.”
The room went silent.
Damon felt his son move closer to him.
Ava continued.
“I got up.”
“To get bread?”
She shook her head.
“To get yogurt.”
“From the refrigerator?”
“Yes.”
“What happened?”
Ava looked at Renee.
“She grabbed me.”
Renee immediately said:
“I stopped her from ignoring me.”
Damon looked at his daughter.
“Then?”
“She said sit down.”
Ava touched her cheek again.
“I said I’m hungry.”
Her voice broke.
“And she hit me.”
Damon turned toward Renee.
She held his gaze.
For several seconds neither spoke.
Then Renee said:
“I slapped her hand and caught her cheek.”
Ava shook her head violently.
“No!”
Noah shouted:
“You slapped her face!”
Renee turned.
“Noah.”
“She did!”
Damon stepped in front of his son too.
His voice remained low.
“Did you see it?”
Noah nodded.
“Yes.”
“Where were you?”
“Right there.”
He pointed to his chair.
“What happened right before?”
“Ava stood up.”
“And?”
“Mom told her to sit.”
“And?”
“Ava said she was still hungry.”
Noah wiped his face.
“Then Mom said she needed to learn that being hungry doesn’t mean she gets whatever she wants.”
Damon stared.
Renee looked away.
Noah continued.
“Ava said she was getting yogurt.”
His voice became smaller.
“Mom grabbed her, Ava pulled away, and Mom slapped her.”
Damon looked toward Renee.
“Is that true?”
Renee’s eyes filled with angry tears.
“You have been here for four minutes.”
Damon did not respond.
“You come home unexpectedly, walk into the last thirty seconds of a difficult evening, and suddenly I’m on trial.”
“Did you slap her?”
“I lost my temper.”
There.
The first honest sentence.
Damon closed his eyes.
When he opened them, Ava was watching him.
Not Renee.
Him.
Waiting.
That realization hurt almost as much as the red mark on her face.
Damon crouched again.
“Come here.”
Ava immediately stood.
She went into his arms so fast that her chair scraped backward.