The answer he already knew became real.
“Does Dad know?”
“Yes.”
“What did he say?”
Mara’s hands tightened around the steering wheel.
“He said there was no room for another child.”
Caleb felt his stomach twist.
“But that’s not his decision.”
A sad smile appeared on Mara’s face.
“You sound like me when I was your age.”
“What happened?”
She looked at him.
“What do you mean?”
“Why are you afraid of him?”
The question stayed between them.
Outside, cars passed.
People laughed.
Someone walked by carrying balloons from a nearby store.
A normal Saturday.
A normal world.
Except inside that car, Caleb was waiting for his mother to finally tell the truth.
Mara looked away.
“Your father wasn’t always like this.”
“That doesn’t answer my question.”
She almost smiled.
“You’re getting too smart.”
“I’m serious.”
“I know.”
A tear slipped down her cheek before she could stop it.
Caleb had seen his mother cry before.
But never like this.
Never silently.
Never like she was apologizing for having feelings.
“Your father lost his job two years ago,” Mara said.
“I know.”
“He blamed himself.”
“That’s not your fault.”
“I know that now.”
The way she said it made Caleb understand.
She had not always known.
“He started drinking.”
Caleb looked at her.
“Dad drinks?”
“Not like people think.”
“What does that mean?”
“It means he knows how to hide it.”
The car became quiet.
“He stopped being angry at the world,” Mara continued.
“And started being angry at me.”
Caleb felt his hands curl into fists.
“What did he do?”
Mara looked down.
Not answering was an answer.
“Mom.”
“I don’t want you carrying this.”
“I already am.”
Those words broke something in her.
Because he was right.
Her son had already spent years watching.
Already spent years understanding things children should never have to understand.
Mara reached across the console and touched his face.
“I’m sorry.”
“For what?”
“For letting you see.”
Caleb shook his head.
“No.”
His voice became stronger.
“For letting him make you think you had to hide.”
Mara looked at him.
