“We need to talk about the girls,” he said. “Come over tomorrow. Bring Laura.”
Derek arrived with his wife looking annoyed.
“This couldn’t wait?”
I placed Audrey’s screenshots on the table.
One message read, Your mom says no auditions. Don’t make things harder by asking her.
Another said, Your teacher thinks you should step back. I’m trying to spare you.
“Derek, why are you sending these?”
Laura read them slowly.
“Derek, why are you sending these?”
“Audrey misunderstood. I was trying to manage expectations.”
Audrey spoke from beside me.
“You told me Mom thought I was embarrassing myself.”
He shifted in his chair.
“Don’t call her sweetheart.”
“Sweetheart, you were taking it too seriously.”
“Don’t call her sweetheart,” I said.
Laura turned toward him.
“Is this because Mia didn’t get accepted?”
Nobody answered.
Then Scott asked, “Derek?”
“All I could think about was Mia crying after her rejection.”
