Page 88 of Absolution

Silence.

“Jem?” I try again.

She shifts. “It wasn’t a big deal.”

“Doesn’t look likenota big deal.”

She sighs dramatically. “Tracy Collins said something. At recess.”

“What did she say?”

Iris mutters, “Stuff about Mom.”

“What kind of stuff?” I press gently.

Jemma bites her lip, glancing at Iris, then finally blurts, “She said Mom had a sleepover. With their neighbour, Lucas.”

My heart drops, but I stay quiet.

“She said it all smug,” Iris snaps. “Like shewantedpeople to hear. Said her mom told her. And then she was like, ‘guess your mom likes playing house next door now.’”

I clench my jaw. “So then what happened?”

“She said Mom was easy,” Jemma explodes. “That Lucas probably doesn’t even like kids and Mom was just desperate.”

I rub a hand over my face. “So, you punched her?”

“No!” Iris says quickly. Then, lower, “Well… not at first.”

“I threw a juice box at her,” Jemma mumbles.

“She dodged it,” Iris adds, as if that makes it better.

“And then what?”

Levi looks down at his shoes. “She said Lucas would be our new step-dad.”

The air in the room shifts. Dense now. Heavy.

“She said he’d never let us see you again,” Iris whispers.

My chest tightens. “She said what?”

“That’s when I went for her,” Jemma says flatly. “I don’t regret it.”

I lean forward, elbows on my knees, trying to keep my voice even. “You know that would never happen, right? Your mom and I, we’d never let that happen. You’dalwayssee me.”

Jemma scoffs.

“What?” I ask gently.

“Shut up, Jemma,” Iris mutters.

Jemma doesn’t. She lifts her chin. “Why do you even trust her anymore? She broke our family.”

My heart stutters. “What?”

Jemma folds her arms tight. “I know Mom asked for the divorce. I know you didn’t want it.”

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