Chapter 4: The Father Who Was Called In
Principal Harris looked at Liam and asked, “Do you want me to call your father?”
At the mention of his father, Liam hesitated.
It had been a long time since he knew how to talk to him. Ethan was not a bad father. But he had been too busy, too broken after Liam’s mother died, and too willing to believe that everything at home was fine simply because Caroline always said it was.
Every evening when Ethan came home, Caroline would smile.
“Liam was good today.”
“Liam already ate.”
“He’s just sensitive whenever his mother is mentioned.”
Ethan would look at his son with his head lowered and think Liam only needed more time to accept their new family.
He did not know that every time Liam wanted to run into his arms, Caroline stood behind him with a warning look.
He did not know how many nights Liam had stood outside his study, listening to his father sigh, before quietly walking away.
Liam wanted his father to come.
But he was also afraid.
Afraid Caroline would say he was making everything worse.
Afraid his father would believe her again.
Principal Harris seemed to understand his fear. He placed a hand on Liam’s shoulder.
“You did nothing wrong. A child remembering his mother is never wrong.”
Those words made Liam burst into tears.
Not because someone had scolded him.
But because, finally, an adult had allowed him to be heartbroken.
Twenty minutes later, hurried footsteps echoed in the hallway.
The door of the principal’s office opened.
Ethan rushed in, his coat still unbuttoned.
“Liam!”
Liam stood up. He did not know whether to run into his father’s arms or stay where he was.
But Ethan dropped to his knees in front of him.
He looked at Liam’s red eyes, then at the dirty lunchbox on the desk, then at Caroline standing silently in the corner.
“What happened?”
No one answered right away.
May you like
Principal Harris handed him the letter.
“You should read this first.”
