“Right! Nobody is allowed to fight until after dessert.”
Dad looked up from the table.
“Can we at least argue about politics before the main course?”
“No,” Mom said firmly. “We are having a peaceful dinner.”
Kai muttered, “This family has become a dictatorship.”
I pulled out my chair.
“Finally, a position you haven’t tried to steal.”
Dad choked on his water.
Mom closed her eyes.
“Kai, please don’t respond.”
Kai stared at me.
I smiled.
“What? Mom said no fighting. I made a joke.”
For the first time in my life, I wasn’t the one apologizing for it.
Dinner began awkwardly.
Eventually, Dad cleared his throat.
“I owe you an apology, Kevin.”
I put down my fork.
“For what?”
“For assuming Kai was always right because he was the one who spoke most confidently.”
Kai looked down.
Dad continued.
“We were so busy celebrating his achievements that we failed to recognize yours. That was wrong.”
