I folded my arms.
“I did say it was a family dinner, Daniel.”
He looked at her, then at the baby, then at his father. “Dad?”
Mark didn’t answer. “Daniel, sit down.” I pointed to the couch.
Daniel sat. “For 25 years, I believed honesty was the foundation of this family.” I pointed at the baby. “That is your child, Daniel.
Look at him.”
He looked, but only for a second. Ava shook her head. “Amazing.
He still can’t.”
Daniel rubbed the back of his neck. “I didn’t know what to do.”
“Did we not teach you how to be responsible? How to be honest?”
His jaw tightened.
“You did, but this… this is too heavy for me.”
“So your solution was to let her carry it alone?”
“No! I just…” Daniel finally looked at her. “Ava, I was going to figure it out.”
She stared at him.
“When? After his first birthday? Kindergarten?
College?”
“You don’t get to sound overwhelmed, Daniel! I was pregnant. I gave birth.
I sat alone in a hospital room. Your father paid the bill while you disappeared.”
Daniel looked like he wanted the floor to open up. Mark cleared his throat.
“This has gone far enough.”
“Actually, it hasn’t gone far enough. That’s the problem.” I turned to Ava. “You are not doing this alone anymore.”
Her chin wobbled.
She nodded once.
