sweet and insistent. "Benny, are you

his mind reeling. He looked at Ava, who was

s coming out as a command. "We're

fight him. Instead, she just

pily about her day. Leo was in the back with Ava, but he leaned forward, talking e

aurant, one of Leah's favorites. The ai

s eyes lit up. "Ooh, they have lo

y," Ben said, sm

ave the crab legs. T

t scanned the menu wi

rritation. Ava was ruining this, just like she'd ruined the rock-cli

art of the gracious hostess. She picked up a br

r voice full of fake conc

n Leah's hand, then at Le

it," she said,

Ben snapped. "Leah is

Leo whined. "Auntie Lea

to Ben, and then back to Leah. A lon

voice was quiet, but it cut

irectly at Ben. "Severely. Anaphylactic shock. W

ome up a few times. She always just ordered something else.

e was a mask of confusion. He h

ut still holding an edge of steel. "You are my son. You live with me. And you

nd still frozen in mid-air holding the bread. Ben felt

er napkin neatly on the table,

out of the restaurant wi

to run after her, to apologize. But the larger part, the proud, self-absorbed part, was jus

t he knew was gone. In her place was this cold, s

she'd asked Maria to prepare earlier. She felt a strange sense of ca

es and satellite images. It felt good to use her mind again, to focus

there was a soft

small plate with a piece of cake on it. Leah stood b

. "Auntie Leah and I brought you d

about your allergy. I feel terrible." Her apology was flawl

It was Leah's signature move: the publ

hungry,"

ed, his eyes welling up wi

olve wavered. He was

softness in Ava's ey

te. She scooped up a piece of cake and moved it towards Ava's

blatant act of aggressi

ntaneous. She recoiled,

aid

lattered t

um to her advantage. With a small, theatrical cry, she stumbled backward, her ar

ching her ankle. "My ankle!

th horror. "Mommy! You pushe

ing up the stairs. "What's

w Leo pointing a trembling finger at Ava. He sa

d. He didn't need to. He h

ce purple with rage. "Wh

It's not her fault, Ben," she sobbed. "I was just tryi

Leah's side. "No! Mommy pushed

ons

choed in t

her son, the manipulative woman who had orchestra

was so completely,

glad she h