father had no answer.

Behind us, my mother raised her voice.

“So you’re really going to take that baby and leave?”

I looked over my shoulder.

“Yes.”

“After everything I’ve done for you?”

I almost laughed.

Not because it was funny, but because I had heard that sentence so many times that I could have repeated it myself.

Every act of kindness became a debt.

Every gift became leverage.

Every family gathering became another opportunity to remind me that I owed her something.

I tightened my arms around Lily.

“You