The Conversation That Mattered More Than the Suitcases
That night, after Scott went to bed, I left the suitcase combinations on the kitchen table.
Lydia stared at the paper like it was heavier than it was.
“Why are you giving them back?” she asked.
“Because this was never about your handbags,” I said.
“It was about your priorities.”
I kept my tone controlled and direct.
“You treated Olivia like built-in help,” I told her. “Like a resource you can schedule.”
“But she’s a kid.”
“A kid who lost her mother.”
“And when she got hurt, you didn’t protect her. You used her.”
