"Do you know how much it hurts her?" he interrupted, trembling with righteous indignation. "She can barely walk. She needs someone to take care of her. I'm not coming home. I want to stay here and be Auntie Vera's little hero."
Every word was a serrated blade dragging across my heart. I struggled to draw breath.
I gripped the phone tighter, forcing my voice steady. "Blake, doesn't your school have the parent-child sports day tomorrow? Come home tonight, and you can visit Auntie Vera after the event, okay?"
His refusal was immediate, cold and unyielding.
"No. I don't want anyone at school to know I have a bad mom."
The line went dead in my heart before the call even ended.
Seeing the color drain from my face, Harrison stepped forward, placing a hand on my shoulder. His voice was smooth, practiced.
"It's fine, Sara. I'll go to the event with Blake tomorrow." He paused, eyes gleaming with a solution that served everyone but me. "It actually works out perfectly. While we're at the school, you can take Vera to the doctor to get her back checked."
Hearing his father's proposal, Blake's tone softened instantly.