Over nothing.
I felt my jaw tighten. “My daughter isn’t nothing,” I said.
Lisa’s voice went cold. “If you keep this up,” she warned, “don’t expect us at the holidays.”
“Okay,” I said.
My calm threw her off.
“Okay?” she repeated, incredulous.
“Yes,” I said evenly. “If the price of your presence is Amanda’s humiliation, I don’t want you here.”
Silence.
Then Lisa snapped, “Fine,” and hung up.
I stared at the screen for a long moment. My hands were steady, but my chest burned.
This was what standing up did.
It didn’t just stop a moment.
It challenged an entire family script.
And scripts fight back.
That weekend, Richard tried a different angle.
He showed up at Amanda’s school.
I found out because the principal called my cell around noon.
“Mr. Parker?” she said cautiously. “This is Principal Hensley. Your father is here.”
My stomach dropped. “My father?” I repeated.
“Yes,” she said. “Richard Parker. He says he’s here to deliver a gift and apologize to Amanda.”
My throat went tight. Richard didn’t apologize. Not truly. He performed.
“Do not let him near my daughter,” I said immediately.
Principal Hensley’s voice was firm. “We haven’t,” she assured me. “He’s waiting in the office. We wanted to contact you first.”
“Thank you,” I said, voice tight. “I’m on my way.”
Emily met me at the door when I grabbed my keys.
“What happened?” she asked.
“My dad,” I said. “He’s at her school.”
Her eyes flashed. “No,” she said, already reaching for her coat. “Absolutely not.”
