“Without Mr. Vance’s knowledge.”
“Yes.”
“You expected him to say something damaging.”
“I expected him to say what he had already been saying.”
Vance finally looked up.
For a second, his eyes met hers.
Kendal felt the old instinct.
Look down.
Stay quiet.
Do not challenge him.
She kept looking.
Vance looked away first.
The deposition lasted three hours.
When Kendal emerged, Marcus stood.
“How’d it go?”
Kendal picked up her coat.
“I need food.”
“That good?”
“I answered.”
Eleanor came out behind her.
“She answered very well.”
Marcus looked proud.
Kendal rolled her eyes.
“Can we please eat?”
They went to a small burger restaurant three blocks from the courthouse.
No cameras.
No reporters.
No lawyers.
Marcus ordered too many fries.
Kendal stole half of them.
For one evening, the case became something happening somewhere else.
Senior year arrived.
Kendal auditioned for five universities.
Samuel refused to help choose.
“It’s your life.”
“You have opinions.”
“Of course I have opinions.”
“Then tell me.”
“No.”
“Grandpa.”
“You want me to tell you where I would go.”
“Yes.”
“I already went where I would go.”
Kendal glared at him.
Samuel smiled.
“Choose where you can become someone I never was.”
In February, a thick envelope arrived from the New England Conservatory of Music.
Kendal stared at it for nearly ten minutes before opening it.
Danielle filmed from the kitchen.
Marcus pretended not to be watching.
Kendal unfolded the letter.
Her mouth opened.
No sound came out.
Marcus stepped forward.
“What?”
Kendal handed him the page.
He read the first sentence.
Then the second.
His knees weakened.
“Full tuition?”
Danielle screamed.
Kendal burst into tears.
Marcus pulled both of them into his arms.
Three minutes later, Samuel answered a video call.
Kendal held the letter toward the camera.
“I got in.”
Samuel adjusted his glasses.
“I can’t read that.”
“Full scholarship.”
Samuel went silent.