No excuse.
“I thought Grant was picking you up earlier,” Mark said quietly. “We didn’t realize you were sitting there waiting.”
Eliza’s eyes filled with tears.
“We thought you knew somebody was coming.”
I looked around the room.
Five guilty faces.
One terrified son in uniform.
The happiest surprise they could imagine had accidentally touched the deepest fear I carried.
Being left behind.
Part 5 — What Grant Had Been Hiding
Grant took a cautious step toward me.
“I didn’t tell anyone about the academy.”
I looked at his badge again.
“The academy?”
He nodded.
“I’ve been training for months.”
“Months?”
“I didn’t tell any of you.”
Jason shook his head.
“You? A cop?”
Grant shot him a look.
“Thanks for the confidence.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“Kind of sounded like it.”
Normally, their bickering would have made me laugh.
That night, I couldn’t.
“Why didn’t you tell me?” I asked.
Grant’s expression softened.
“Because I didn’t want people waiting for me to fail.”
The room became quiet.
He looked at his brothers and sisters.
Then back at me.
“I’ve messed up a lot. Everybody knows that.”
“Grant—”
“It’s true.”
He rubbed the back of his neck.
“I’ve quit jobs. I’ve made stupid choices. I’ve spent years pretending nothing mattered because that was easier than admitting I didn’t know what I was doing.”
His voice lowered.
“When I applied to the academy, I didn’t tell anybody because I couldn’t stand the idea of everyone asking about it if I washed out.”
I felt some of my anger weaken.
“Did you think I expected you to fail?”
