Leo.”
“Why did you cut my promise, Grandma?” Leo asked, voice small.
“I… I didn’t know it was a promise. I didn’t know about Lily. I just thought…”
“You thought he looked like a girl,” Mark finished. “And you decided that was more important than asking why.”
Brenda buried her face in her hands.
Mark stood up. “We’re leaving.”
“But dinner—”
“I’ve lost my appetite.”
We gathered our things. As we walked toward the door, Mark’s father followed us.
“Son, I’m sorry. I didn’t know she’d done that.”
“I know, Dad. But she did. And she needs to understand that actions have consequences.”
“She does. Believe me, we’ll be having a long conversation tonight.”
Mark nodded. “Good. Because if she ever does anything like this again, I won’t just set boundaries. I’ll press charges. And I’ll make sure she never sees my kids again.”
We drove home in silence.
Leo
