“It isn't.”
“Noah.”
“She loses everything.”
Emma flinched.
Daniel saw.
Noah continued quickly:
“She loses pencils.”
“Her headphones.”
“Homework.”
“She's always saying somebody took something.”
Emma’s face tightened.
“You did take my headphones.”
“For like a day.”
“You said you didn't.”
“I forgot.”
Caleb stared at the table.
Daniel noticed.
“Caleb.”
The younger boy looked up.
“What do you know?”
“Nothing.”
The answer came too quickly.
Laura closed her eyes.
“Oh my God.”
Daniel looked toward her.
She whispered:
“I've heard this before.”
“What?”
“Emma saying things disappeared.”
Daniel stared.
“When?”
“All summer.”
Emma looked at her mother.
Laura’s face filled with shame as memory returned.
“Your camp registration.”
Emma nodded.
“The library card.”
Another nod.
“The birthday card from Grandma June.”
Emma nodded again.
Daniel’s chest tightened.
Grandma June was Emma’s paternal grandmother in Oregon.
She sent a birthday card every year with ten dollars for each year of Emma’s age.
Emma turned eleven in July.
The card never arrived.
Laura had called June.
June insisted she sent it.
Everyone assumed postal delay.
Daniel had joked about investigating his own employer.
Now he looked toward Noah.
The boy stood.
“I didn't take Grandma June’s card.”
Daniel’s voice stayed quiet.
“I didn't say you did.”
Noah stopped.
Laura covered her mouth.
Caleb whispered:
“Noah.”
“Shut up.”
Daniel’s eyes moved to Caleb.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
“No.”
Daniel stood.
“Whatever you just almost said, finish it.”
Caleb stared at his brother.
Noah shook his head slightly.
A tiny movement.
Daniel saw.
Laura saw too.
“Caleb.”
The boy’s face collapsed.
“He didn't take the birthday card.”
Emma stared.
Daniel’s stomach tightened.
“Then who did?”
Caleb looked down.
“I did.”
Silence.
Emma whispered:
“What?”
Caleb’s eyes filled.
“I didn't know there was money.”
“Why would that matter?” Laura asked.
Caleb rubbed his face.
“I thought it was another school thing.”
Daniel stared.
“What school thing?”
Caleb started crying.
Noah slammed one palm onto the island.
“Stop.”
Daniel moved between them immediately.
“No.”
Noah looked at him.
“You do not tell him to stop.”