My mother spoke for the first time.
“David, you’re the eldest.” Her voice was low and sharp. “You were supposed to protect your brother. Protect this family. We could have gotten him help. Sent him somewhere quietly. And instead you chose strangers over your own blood.”
I looked at her. The woman who’d spent thirty years handing out checks to poor children in front of news cameras.
“Did you know?” I said. “Either of you. About the girl at his school. The one whose family withdrew the complaint.”
Neither of them answered.
That was my answer.
I thought about my childhood. Matthew drawing an ugly picture and my mother calling it a masterpiece. Matthew breaking the TV and my father laughing it off. Me getting a B in chemistry and getting lectured for an hour.
Let your brother have it, David. You’re the oldest. Set an example.
My whole life, I’d been the one who had to sacrifice so Matthew could be protected.
And they were still doing it. Even now. Even with two children in a basement.
“You have to fix this,” my father said. “Call the lawyer. Retract your statement. Say you were confused. Say you didn’t see what you think you saw.”
I stood up.
“No.”
“David—”
“I’m sorry for what this does to you. I really am. But I’m not sorry I did it. And I’ll do it again in court.”
I walked to the front door.
My mother said my name once. I didn’t turn around.
The door closed behind me with a soft click. It sounded like the end of something.
I sat in my car in their driveway and cried. But it wasn’t grief this time. It was something closer to being let go.
Sophie was waiting for me.
She was my family. That was enough.
Ethan Blake is a skilled Creative Content Specialist with a talent for crafting engaging and thought-provoking narratives. With a strong background in storytelling and digital content creation, Ethan brings a unique perspective to his role at TheArchivists, where he curates and produces captivating content for a global audience.
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