“You’re taking her side?”
Dawn adjusted Ivy’s blanket.
“Amy doesn’t need me to speak for her.”
Brandon looked back at me.
“Fine. I’m sorry.”
“I heard you.”
“What else do you want?”
“Change.”
I pushed the list across the table.
“Counseling. A fair parenting schedule. The money returned. No more pretending you do more than you actually do.”
“This is humiliating.”
“No. Humiliation is what you feel because people know the truth. What comes next is accountability.”
His eyes moved toward the bag by the stairs.
“You’re throwing me out?”
“You can stay with your mother while we begin counseling. Then you can decide whether being a father is something you only say or something you actually practice.”
Dawn reached for his bag, but I stopped her.
“I’ve got it.”
I carried it to Brandon and placed the strap in his hand.
“You packed this because you believed you could leave whenever your family became difficult. Carry it now while you decide whether you are willing to return and behave differently.”
