“And your solution was to teach my child to fight?”
“My solution was to make sure your child had something besides bodyguards between her and the worst day of her life.”
Grace spoke from behind us.
“Why didn’t you tell me?”
Evelyn’s expression softened.
“I told you enough.”
“You told me I should know how to protect myself.”
“You should.”
“You didn’t tell me somebody was watching me.”
“No.”
Grace’s voice shook for the first time.
“Because I’m blind?”
“No. Because you’re twelve.”
The hypocrisy of that answer almost made me smile.
Grace heard it too.
“So when Dad hides things from me, it’s prison. When you do it, it’s protection?”
Evelyn winced.
“Fair.”
“Good.”
Grace lowered herself onto the training mat and crossed her arms.
“I’m mad at both of you.”
Despite everything, something in my chest shifted.
There she was.