Page 36 of Small Sacrifices

"That's not what I asked."

Her eyes are way too alert for Reid to keep looking at her. He turns his head down, looks at the sticky note he keeps sticking to and ripping off the table. "It's the most precise answer I can give you right now." His stomach twists uncomfortably. This is... why doesn't he know this? Why didn't he ever think that heshouldknow this? That's weird, right? But also... "Wait, what does that have to do with Everett?"

Maybe that was the wrong thing to say, because the way her eyes widen is downright comical. "Oh, nothing."

Sure. That sounds believable. He wants to ask, dig deeper, but then Mr. Wright swans out of his office and walks right by their desks. Immediately, Marisol withdraws into herself again, hands in her lap and eyes stuck to her desk. Still, she takes the time to hiss a "just be careful" out of the corner of her mouth.

Reid has no idea what he's supposed to be careful about. But she's right that they should stop talking about it in the middle of the office. He unsticks his sticky note one last time and thencrumples it up to throw into the trash can. Maybe he can ask her when they're on their lunch break.

Reid is immersed in a 2005 planning proposal for the school when a whisper starts up, so he doesn't pay it any attention at first. Which is a mistake, because the solution Marisol finds to that problem is a sharp pinch to his biceps.

Thankfully, he manages to suppress the reflexive expletive, because when he looks up with tears burning behind his eyes, the governor is at the head of the room. One of these days, he's going to have to talk to Marisol about how she tries to get him to pay attention.

All around them, people are talking in hissed whispers, moving their chairs and tidying up their desks. In the general hum of the office, Reid almost misses Everett sauntering into the room. As it is, he has to look twice to be sure. Because the look on his face... that's not Everett. Everett smiles and laughs and teases. Every time that Reid has seen him so far, he's been very expressive. He doesn't look this aloof.

As Everett's eyes roam across the room, they seem to catch on Reid's face for a moment. But he doesn't answer the smile Reid gives him, doesn't even show an ounce of recognition. He just moves on. And that stings way more than it should.

"Alright, folks, listen up!" the governor says when he's finally had enough of the hubbub. "I just need five minutes of your time. We're leaving for Chesterton tomorrow, and I need everyone to know what's happening."

That could've been an email,Reid thinks to himself. A quick look at Marisol doesn't show the shared irritation he'd like to see, but her less familiar poker face.

"An email will go out to everyone who's coming along," Governor Mackenzie continues, "but I want to make sure everyone hears it straight from me. There will be a mediation with the parents, and then I'll visit Chesterton Hospital andattend a public town hall meeting. I won't be offering a personal apology, because, as we all know, I'm not to blame for this mess."

He gives a winning smile. "Lieutenant Governor Coleman will be joining us to make public statements that are less likely to end up in court. Our official stance is: We are devastated that children were hurt and are still hurting. They should have received help earlier, and we are committed to ensuring they get all the support they need. We're traveling there to ensure their voices are heard."

There's a brief pause, and for a moment, Reid thinks the governor is finished. But then he continues, "I'm bringing my son to show how seriously I'm taking this. He grew up in that community, and had he been younger, he would have attended that school. This isn't just about corporate negligence; it's about families. That's why I'm bringing mine. I would've brought Maximilian, but he has an important test tomorrow." The governor winks. "So, we'll just have to make do with Everett, won't we?"

Everett smiles so broadly that it looks uncomfortable. "Oh, I think they'll love me."

"Of course you do. Well," the governor spreads his arms invitingly, "questions?"

Silence fills the room. Reid doesn't speak up, convinced this is all the information he's meant to have. Only those accompanying the governor are supposed to know more—and Reid will not be one of them. If Ms. Greene or anyone else needs him, they'll contact him.

"Cool," says Governor Mackenzie, and claps his hands. "Well, then. Back to work, everyone. Wish us luck!"

Only when he pushes his son out of the room does Reid get proof Everett has indeed seen him—a look back over his shoulder. Again, Reid tries to smile.

The moment doesn't last. The governor says something that makes Everett whip around, severing their eye contact and leaving Reid even more puzzled. His stomach churns, though he's unsure why. There's no reason for it to hurt. His throat feels dry too, but that might be a side effect of his medication. He swallows and takes a sip of tea.

As the small crowd disperses, Reid notices Mr. Wright still standing where the governor had been. Mr. Wright is staring directly at Reid, a scowl on his face. The intense look only adds to Reid's discomfort. Could this be related to the profiles? Have they not met expectations? But Mr. Wright doesn't say anything. He simply shakes his head, squints at Reid, and retreats to his office.

Reid's next order of business is to drain his cup and make himself some chamomile tea. He'd like to talk to Marisol, but she's busy, and he needs to develop some sort of independence in the workplace. He can't come running to her every time someone looks at him wrong. So he makes himself a cup of calming tea and returns to his boring report. Unsurprisingly, the chamomile doesn't make it more interesting to read.

Two hours later, after a solitary lunch break, Reid receives an email with the subject line:"Itinerary for Chesterton Trip."At first, he thinks it might be a mistake or additional information for everyone. But the email is addressed to him personally from Mr. Wright, detailing the events and their order.

"Hospital visit with Stephanie Greene and her son Robin,"the email reads.

Oh. Is that why Mr. Wright was looking at him so intensely? Was he still deciding? Reid understands if he wasn't the obvious choice for this trip, but now he's been included.

The email further says:"Mr. Maxwell, to ensure that the parents feel taken seriously, you’ll be traveling with the team. Since you handled the bulk of the communication, we will needyou available at all times to provide support, should the need arise."

Reid reads the message again, trying to make sense of it. There's always a chance he's reading too much into it, but it doesn't sound like Mr. Wright is thrilled about the decision. It seems more like a last-minute realization that maybe handing off this task to Reid wasn't the best idea.

A small spark of triumph flares up behind Reid's sternum, but it quickly dims as he considers the implications. He'll be away for the rest of the week, out of his routine and his comfortable environment. And he'll need to be at the airfield by six a.m. tomorrow.

Can he even manage that? Instinctively, he shakes his head. The real question isn't whether he can do it—it's how much it will cost him. The email states he'll return on Friday evening, which means he'll at least have the weekend to decompress.

"Everything alright?" Marisol asks.

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