The accusation, delivered before I'd even taken off my jacket.
"What happened?""
Brenda sighed and placed her mug on the coffee table.
"Honestly, I was hoping you'd speak to her. She's become disrespectful. She refuses to help around the house, complains about meals, and acts as if she's entitled to special treatment.""
I stared at her.
"Nia?""
"Yes, Nia. I know she's your daughter, but that doesn't mean she should be allowed to behave however she likes.""
I set the bakery box on the counter.
"What exactly did she do?""
Brenda folded her arms.
"She made a scene at dinner. I asked her to help clear the table, and she accused me of treating her unfairly.""
"Did you?""
Her mouth opened slightly.
"Excuse me?""
"I asked whether you were treating her unfairly.""
Brenda gave a short, disbelieving laugh.
"That's ridiculous. I've been doing everything for those girls while you're away working. I cook, I clean, I make sure they get to school. And this is the thanks I receive?""
I rubbed my forehead.
I was exhausted, and I hated confrontation. More importantly, I didn't want to make an accusation without understanding what had happened.
That hesitation would haunt me later.
"All right," I said.
"I'll talk to her.""
Brenda's shoulders relaxed.
"Good. She needs to understand that this family has rules.""
I picked up the cupcakes.
"Where is she?""
"Upstairs.""
I climbed the stairs two at a time.
Nia's bedroom door was half-open. I knocked gently.
"Sweetheart?""
She sat on the edge of her bed with a book open in her lap.
When she saw me, she stood.
"Dad.""
I opened my arms.
She came toward me, but she stopped just before reaching me.
The hesitation lasted less than a second.
It was still enough to hurt.
"What's wrong?"" I asked, hugging her anyway.
"Nothing.""
"I brought you something.""
I held out the book.
Her face brightened for the first time since I'd arrived.
"You remembered?""
"Of course I remembered.""
She traced the cover with her fingertips.
"Thank you, Dad.""
I waited for the usual flood of stories.
Instead, she looked toward the doorway.
"Are you leaving again soon?""
"Not for a few days.""
"Oh.""
"Why? Do you want to do something together?""
She nodded, but her smile faded.
"Maybe.""
I crouched in front of her.
"Nia, Brenda told me you've been having some trouble.""
Her shoulders stiffened.
"What did she say?""
"That you've been arguing about chores and meals.""
Nia stared at the carpet.
"Did she say I was disrespectful?""
"Something like that.""
For a long moment, she said nothing.
Then she asked a question I wasn't prepared for.
"Dad, if someone lives in your house, does that mean they can decide whether your children deserve dinner?""
The room seemed to tilt.
"What?""
She looked up quickly.
"Nothing. Forget it.""
"Nia, look at me.""
Her eyes filled with tears.
I reached for her hands.
"Has Brenda been withholding food from you?""
She pulled away.
"No!""
The answer came too quickly.
Then she looked frightened by her own voice.
"I'm sorry," she whispered.
"I didn't mean to shout.""
I felt cold all over.
"You don't have to apologize for talking to me.""
She shook her head.
"Please don't make her angry.""
That sentence changed everything.
Before I could ask another question, footsteps sounded in the hallway.
Brenda appeared in the doorway.
"Daniel, dinner will be ready soon. I thought perhaps we could all sit down and discuss Nia's attitude.""
Nia immediately stepped away from me.
The movement was small, but I saw it.
Brenda smiled.
"Come downstairs, sweetheart. And remember what we discussed about being respectful.""
Nia lowered her eyes.
"Yes, Brenda.""
I looked at my daughter, then at my stepmother.
For the first time, I wondered whether the woman I'd allowed into our home had been hiding something from me.
Dinner was uncomfortable.
Brenda prepared spaghetti with meatballs, garlic bread, and a salad.
Mason complained that the sauce wasn't spicy enough. Chloe asked whether she could have dessert before finishing her vegetables.
Brenda laughed and promised to make them brownies the next day.
Nia sat silently beside Ava.
When I offered her another meatball, she looked at Brenda before answering.
"No, thank you.""
I lowered the serving spoon.
"Are you sure?""
She nodded.
Brenda cut into her own dinner.
"She's been eating snacks all day. That's probably why she isn't hungry.""
Nia's face went white.
Ava stopped chewing.
I placed the spoon down.
"Brenda, please don't speak for her.""
Brenda blinked.
"I'm only explaining.""
"I asked Nia a question.""
She leaned back in her chair.
"Fine. I suppose I'm not allowed to say anything anymore.""
The conversation ended there.
But I couldn't stop watching my daughter.
She took tiny bites. She drank water between them. Whenever Brenda looked in her direction, her shoulders rose toward her ears.
After dinner, Brenda sent Nia to wash the dishes while Chloe went upstairs to watch television.
I stood in the doorway and watched Nia scrub a plate.
"Sweetheart, leave those for a minute.""
She turned quickly.
"Did I do something wrong?""
The question hit me like a punch.
"No. I just want to talk.""
She placed the sponge down.
I guided her into the living room, where Ava was sitting cross-legged on the rug with a coloring book.
"Girls, I need you to tell me something.""
Nia twisted the sleeve of her sweater.
"Is this about dinner?""
"It's about anything you want to tell me. Anything that happens when I'm gone.""
Neither child answered.
I waited.
Ava glanced at her sister.
Nia shook her head almost imperceptibly.
Ava looked down at her coloring book.
I noticed the exchange.
"Is someone telling you not to talk to me?""
"No," Nia said.
"Are you afraid of getting someone in trouble?""
Her lower lip trembled.
"Dad, can we please just watch a movie?""
I wanted to push harder.
Instead, I sat beside her and wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
"Of course.""
We watched a cartoon neither girl seemed to follow.
Later, I tucked them into bed.
Nia hugged me tightly.
"You're staying tomorrow, right?""
"Yes.""
"And the day after?""
"Yes, sweetheart.""
She closed her eyes.
"Okay.""
I kissed her forehead.
At the bedroom door, I turned back.
Ava was still awake, staring at the ceiling.
"Good night, bug.""
She looked at me.
"Dad?""
"Yeah?""
"If someone does something bad, but they smile afterward, does that mean they're sorry?""
I sat on the edge of her bed.
"Not necessarily. Being sorry means you take responsibility and try to make things right.""
Ava considered that.
"What if they smile because they think nobody will find out?""
I felt a chill creep down my back.
"Then the smile doesn't mean much at all.""
She nodded slowly.
"Okay, Dad.""
I turned off her lamp and left the room.
I didn't know that she had hidden a phone beneath her pillow.
I didn't know she had recorded Brenda making Nia eat scraps.
And I certainly didn't know what she had captured after the dinner was over.
At 11:47 p.m., I was sitting on the edge of my bed when someone knocked softly.
"Dad?""
Ava slipped inside.
She was wearing pink pajamas, and her hair stuck out in uneven curls from the pillow.
I frowned.
"What's wrong? Bad dream?""
She shook her head.
Then she closed the bedroom door and turned the lock.
My stomach tightened.
"Ava, what's going on?""
She approached me with both hands wrapped around her phone.
"I need you to watch something.""
"What is it?""
"Please don't get mad until you've seen all of it.""
I took the phone.
The screen displayed a video thumbnail.
Nia was sitting beside the kitchen sink, her face turned away from the camera.
Brenda stood over her with her arms crossed.
My thumb hovered over the screen.
"Ava, what am I looking at?""
Her eyes filled with tears.
"The truth.""
I pressed play.
Brenda's voice filled the room.
"You're lucky you're eating at all.""
Then Nia's voice.
"I'm really hungry.""
I watched the scene unfold.
I saw the cold scraps.
I saw my daughter swallow tears.
I heard Brenda say, "You aren't mine.""
The video ended.
For several seconds, I couldn't move.
Then I played it again.
And again.
Ava stood beside me, silent except for the occasional sniffle.
When I finally looked at her, my hands were shaking.
"How long has this been happening?""
She wiped her nose with her sleeve.
"I don't know. A long time.""
"Why didn't you tell me?""
"I tried.""
"When?""
She looked down at the phone.
"Remember when I asked if bad people could smile?""
I closed my eyes.
She had been trying to tell me all along.
I had simply failed to understand.
I pulled her into my arms.
"I'm sorry, baby.""
She buried her face against my chest.
"I didn't want Nia to get in trouble.""
"She won't.""
I looked at the phone again.
"Does Brenda know you recorded this?""
Ava shook her head.
"She doesn't know about the phone.""
I exhaled slowly.
"Good. Don't tell her yet.""
Ava pulled back.
"Dad, there's more.""
My heart began pounding.
"More?""
She nodded and opened the video gallery.
There were seven recordings.
Seven.
I watched the second clip, in which Brenda took a fresh piece of chicken from Nia's plate and placed it on Chloe's.
In the third, she told Nia that her father's money didn't belong to her.
In the fourth, she ordered Nia to scrub the kitchen floor because she had "embarrassed" the family by asking for seconds.
Each video showed something worse than the last.
But the fifth recording made me stand up so abruptly that my knee struck the bedside table.
Brenda was on the phone in the hallway.
Her voice was low, but the recording was clear.
"Yes, everything is going according to plan," she whispered.
"Daniel still thinks I'm helping him.""
A pause.
Then she laughed.
"No, the girl won't be a problem. Once she's out of the picture, he'll have no choice.""
I stopped the video.
Ava grabbed my wrist.
"Dad, please keep watching.""
I stared at her.
"What does she mean, out of the picture?""
"I don't know.""
"Who was she talking to?""
"I don't know that either.""
I pressed play again.
Brenda's voice continued.
"The paperwork should be ready by Friday. I just need him to sign without asking too many questions.""
Then she mentioned Nia's name.
And something about a suitcase.
The recording ended.
My bedroom suddenly felt too small.
I looked at the remaining videos.
Six.
Seven.
Ava touched the screen.
"The last one is different.""
"Different how?""
She swallowed.
"She was talking about what she would do when you came home.""
I stared at my youngest daughter.
"What did she plan to do?""
Ava pressed her lips together.
Then she whispered, "Dad, I think she's trying to get rid of Nia.""
I watched the final video three times.
Each time, I hoped I had misunderstood something.
Each time, Brenda's voice made the truth harder to escape.
The clip began at 8:16 p.m. on the night of the chicken dinner. The camera angle was crooked, showing the hallway from a low position near the living room cabinet.
Brenda stood beside the staircase.
In her right hand was a sheet of paper.
In her left was Nia's pink suitcase.
The suitcase was fully packed.
I recognized the small purple keychain attached to the handle. Lauren had bought it for Nia during a weekend trip to Chicago.
Brenda glanced toward the stairs before speaking into her phone.
"Friday is the deadline," she said.
"If Daniel refuses to cooperate, I'll make sure he understands what it will cost him.""
She listened.
"No, I'm not worried about the girls. Ava is too young to understand what's happening, and Nia won't say anything if she thinks she's protecting her father.""
My stomach turned.
Brenda moved the suitcase closer to the front door.
"The school transfer is already being discussed. All I need is his signature on the guardianship papers.""
A pause.