Chapter 3
My mother approached before the ceremony started.
Richard followed behind her, still furious.
Stephen stayed near the aisle, pretending he was above all of it.
Dad stood immediately.
That hurt me.
After everything, he still showed her respect.
“Caroline,” he said.
She looked at his suit.
Not his face.
“Thomas, this is humiliating.”
Dad lowered his eyes.
I stepped between them.
“No. What happened outside was humiliating.”
She turned to me.
“You don’t understand how these things look.”
“I understand exactly how they look.”
“Emma, I worked hard to get us into a better circle.”
I laughed once.
A bitter sound.
“Us?”
Her mouth tightened.
“You know what I mean.”
“No. I know what you left.”
Dad touched my shoulder.
“Baby, it’s okay.”
I turned toward him.
“No, Dad. It’s not.”
Richard leaned closer.
“You always were dramatic like him.”
I looked at Mr. Harris standing nearby.
“Principal Harris, can security keep my uncle away from my father?”
Richard scoffed.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
Mr. Harris lifted his hand toward the security officer near the auditorium wall.
“Mr. Parker has a reserved seat. Any further disturbance will result in removal.”
Richard’s face darkened.
My mother whispered, “You’re choosing him over your own family?”
I stared at her.
“He is my family.”
Her face changed.
For a second, I saw pain.
Then pride covered it.
“Fine,” she said.
She walked away.
Richard followed.
Stephen followed.
Dad sat slowly.
His hands shook around the flowers.
“I never wanted today to be like this.”
May you like
I knelt in front of him.
“Neither did I. But I wanted it to be true.”
