Pause.
“No, Mom.”
Longer pause.
“I don’t care whether Aunt Susan thought it was funny.”
Another pause.
“She asked you not to do it.”
Claire froze.
Luke continued.
“Claire told me.”
Silence.
Then Diane spoke loudly enough that Claire heard one sentence.
“She is filling your head with nonsense.”
Luke closed his eyes.
“Mom.”
More shouting.
“Mom.”
Still more.
“Stop.”
Diane finally stopped.
Luke leaned one hand against the wall.
“You don’t get to blame my wife because I’m angry at you.”
Pause.
“No.”
Pause.
“No, you are not coming over tomorrow.”
His eyes moved toward the hallway leading to Ellie’s room.
“She doesn’t want to see you.”
Diane apparently said something.
Luke’s expression hardened.
“She is five, and today you taught her that telling you no doesn’t matter.”
Claire felt goosebumps rise along her arms.
Luke continued.
“I need some space.”
He listened.
Then said quietly, “That’s exactly what I mean.”
He ended the call.
Claire waited.
He returned to the kitchen.
“How bad?”
Luke gave a humorless laugh.
“She wants you to apologize.”
Claire stared.
“For what?”
“Embarrassing her in front of guests.”
Claire actually laughed.
“That’s impressive.”
“She says if you had laughed, Ellie would have laughed.”
“Ellie was screaming.”
“I know.”
“She says I encourage Ellie to be sensitive, doesn’t she?”
Luke looked at her.
“Yes.”
Claire shook her head.
Of course.
“What did you tell her?”
“That she isn’t seeing Ellie until we decide she can.”
Claire studied him.
“Do you mean that?”
“Yes.”
The answer came immediately.
It relieved her.
Then Luke’s phone vibrated again.
A message.
He looked.
His expression changed.
“What?”
He turned the phone toward Claire.
Diane had sent a photograph.
It showed Luke at approximately six years old with chocolate cake smeared across his entire face.