“Dad!”
The laughter around the table was quiet but genuine. Lizie’s demeanor shifted slightly after that. Not relaxed, not yet, but a little less tense.
After dinner, Sam handed her a banana, saying it was a house rule—and the look on that girl’s face haunted me. Lizie stood there after dinner, looking like someone who had learned to leave quickly, before becoming a burden.
Sam intercepted her with a banana from the fruit bowl.
“You forgot dessert.”
Lizie blinked. “Really? Are you sure?”
“It’s a house rule. No one leaves here on an empty stomach.” Sam shoved the banana into her hand. “Ask my mother.”
Lizie squeezed it like she squeezed the straps of her backpack. “Thank you,” she said softly.
