Chapter 4 - Somebody Called the Coach.
Allison wiped flour from her hands before opening the door.
She did not invite them inside.
Her mother held the gift bag against her hip.
Mark stood one step behind her.
"You left this."
Her mother offered the bag.
Allison took it without speaking.
"Can we come in?"
"No."
Mark's eyebrows rose.
"Seriously?"
"Ethan is inside."
"Exactly."
Her mother lowered her voice.
"He should hear adults resolve this properly."
"He heard enough today."
Mark folded his arms.
"You're making us sound like monsters."
"I didn't call anyone a monster."
"You're acting like we attacked his birthday."
Allison kept her voice level.
"You waited until his friends left and told him his party made his cousins feel less important."
"We told you."
"He was ten feet away."
Her mother's mouth tightened.
"That was unfortunate."
Allison stared at her.
"Unfortunate?"
Mark stepped between the two women slightly.
"This is why nobody can talk to you."
Allison looked at him.
"Did you call Coach Ramirez?"
The change in Mark's face lasted less than a second.
It was enough.
Her mother looked at him too.
Mark recovered quickly.
"I asked a question."
"You told him Ethan might give up his regional clinic spot."
"Because we were trying to find a solution."
"To what problem?"
Mark's restraint cracked.
"Mason worked just as hard."
"That is not an answer."
"He missed the cutoff by one place."
"That is still not an answer."
Mark stepped closer.
"You know what it has been like for him."
"What has it been like?"
"Watching Ethan get praised all season."
Allison felt something settle inside her.
"So you wanted Ethan's spot."
"I wanted the coach to know another kid was available."
"You wanted the coach to believe my son was withdrawing."
Mark's cheeks reddened.
Her mother cut in.
"Nobody took anything from Ethan."
Allison turned toward her.
"You said I would never give it up unless you made me feel selfish."
Her mother's eyes changed.
Mark looked sharply at Allison.
"Who told you that?"
Allison did not answer.
"Who are you dragging into this now?"
"Nobody is being dragged anywhere."
"Lucy?"
"Leave your children out of this."
Mark gave a humorless laugh.
"You mean the way you're using Ethan?"
Allison's hand tightened around the gift bag.
"You contacted his coach behind my back."
"Because you never compromise."
From inside the house, a cabinet door closed.
Allison lowered her voice further.
"You need to go."
Her mother stared at her.
"If you walk away from family every time you hear something you don't like, eventually there will be no family left."
Allison held the doorframe.
"If staying requires Ethan to lose things so Mark feels better, then that version of family is already gone."
Mark shook his head.
"There it is."
"What?"
"You always think Ethan deserves the exception."
Allison almost responded.
Then Ethan appeared in the hallway behind her.
He was holding a wooden spoon covered in cake batter.
His face was pale.
"Uncle Mark called Coach?"
No one spoke.
Ethan looked directly at Mark.
"Were you trying to give my spot to Mason?"
Mark opened his mouth.
Allison turned toward Ethan.
"You don't need to stand here for this."
Ethan ignored her.
His eyes remained on his uncle.
"Were you?"
Mark finally answered.
"I was trying to make things fair."
Ethan's lower lip trembled.
Then he nodded once.
"Okay."
He turned back toward the kitchen.
The word sounded exactly like Allison's had at the party.
Her mother exhaled.
"See what this is doing to him?"
Allison looked at her in disbelief.
May you like
Before Allison could answer, Ethan called from the kitchen.
"Mom, I don't want to go to the clinic anymore."
