I think she assumed he was about to defend her.
She handed him the necklace.
“Of course. Took me forever to find those little bottles.”
Matthew turned it over in his hand.
Then he looked at her.
“You had this made?”
“Of course. Took me forever to find those little bottles.”
Matthew held her gaze.
“So you had plenty of time to think about what you were doing.”
“How long is forever?”
She shrugged.
“A couple weeks.”
Matthew nodded.
“So you had plenty of time to think about what you were doing.”
He reached for the scissors Thomas had left beside the cake-box ribbon.
Her smile disappeared.
“Matthew.”
He reached for the scissors Thomas had left beside the cake-box ribbon.
Thomas said, “Dad?”
Matthew raised one hand.
Someone gasped as tiny plastic bottles and pacifiers scattered across the table.
“No, son. Let me handle this.”
Susan’s eyes widened.
“Matthew, don’t.”
He cut the string.
Susan screamed.
Matthew dropped the cut cord into the velvet box.
Someone gasped as tiny plastic bottles and pacifiers scattered across the table.
One bounced off my plate.
Another rolled under Thomas’s chair.
A pink rattle landed in the frosting.
“What are you doing?” Susan shouted.
