Ethan apologized for helping keep the secret.
Jacob accepted the apology.
But I still needed to talk to my son.
On the drive home, Ethan sat beside me with his hands folded in his lap.
The first few minutes passed in silence.
Finally, he asked, “Are you mad?”
“I’m disappointed.”
He stared out the window.
“I wasn’t trying to cause trouble.”
“I know.”
“Lily really wanted to learn how to sew.”
“I understand that.”
He turned toward me.
“Then why does everybody act like I did something terrible?”
I took a breath before answering.
“Because your intentions and your decisions aren’t always the same thing, sweetheart. You wanted to help Lily. That was good. But you helped her hide important information from the person responsible for her safety.”
He looked down.
“I thought her dad would say no.”
“Maybe he would have. But you could have asked Ms. Bennett to help you explain why it mattered to Lily.”
