Case Reopened

At Fault (Part 1)

When they arrived at her house, Sophia opened the door but focused back on Donovan.

"Thank you for controlling your feelings," she said. "It makes it very easy to talk to you."

Donovan smiled and Sophia had that feeling she got when her parents smiled at her, like she was being wrapped up in someone's arms without ever having to be touched.

"I'm glad you know you can talk to me," he said.

"Do you want to know how it goes with Charles tomorrow?"

"Only if you feel like sharing that information with me."

"Okay. I'll text you."

Sophia climbed out and shut the car door. Without looking back she ascend the steps to her house and walked in. By the time she had hung her jacket in the closet and put her shoes on the rack, her mother appeared in the foyer.

"How was school?" her mother asked.

"Will you help me make cookies so that I can give them to someone as an apology?" Sophia asked.

"Yes. Will you tell me what happened as we do?"

"Yes."

As they worked, Sophia laid out the events followed by Donovan's advice, her solution, and the hope that it would have a positive conclusion. The whole time, her mother never spoke, listening and calmly instructing Sophia. By the time the first patch was going in, Sophia had finished talking.

"I do have something else to add," she said. Her mother merely looked at her with that always present patient expression. "I'm sorry I failed to control my anger and didn't count to five in my head and take a breath before responding. You taught me to do that and I didn't. I hope that you can forgive me."

Her mother wrapped her in a hug and kissed Sophia's head. Still holding her, she spoke.

"You are going to get angry," her mother said. "That's natural. You're even going to hurt people when you do get angry. I'm proud of you for understanding where you went wrong and seeing how to make it right. People often don't realize that guilt comes from hurting someone but also from not working to make it right." She leaned back and cupped Sophia's face. "I hope that Charles forgives you but know that even if he doesn't that you have done what you could to make it better."

Sophia nodded. The front door opened and a second later her father walked into the kitchen. He paused, taking in Yvette holding Sophia's face and the evidence of cookies being made.

"All right, who did what, and what do I need to do to them to make them pay?" he asked.

******

When Sophia got into the back of Harrison's car the next morning, she settled the two bags on her lap and waited. She knew it would likely be only a minute before Kennedy asked her what had happened and what was in the brown bags.

But to Sophia's surprise and confusion, neither Kennedy nor Harrison questioned her. Instead, they argued about who would win in a fistfight, Thor or Captain America.

Though Sophia didn't know how to process Kennedy not following her typical interrogation tactic, she felt relieved she didn't need to explain herself. Explaining first to Donovan then her mama and finally her father felt like enough.

When Harrison parked the car and they all climbed out, Sophia felt she'd cleared the confusion.

"Your mother told you not to ask me about yesterday, didn't she?" Sophia asked.

"Yes! And it's killing me! I mean, come on. If something is going on with you, I feel like we should both know. How else are we supposed to have your back if we don't know who is the one stabbing it."