Page 22 of Keeping Score

“You’re a good person, Cass,” I told her, wanting her to know it the same way I did. “I’m glad we’re family.”

“We were always family,” she said. “Even before Liam.”

I felt myself smile, feeling her words all through my heart.

“I know.”

First Heartbreak

Maggie

Twenty Years Ago

It was a Tuesday.

A seemingly random day of the week to walk out on your family, I thought later on.

I wondered if he’d planned it in advance. If when he said goodbye to me that morning before I left for fourth grade, he knew it would be the last time.

Or maybe the need to leave just hit him randomly that day, like the tidal waves I myself had been so prone to experiencing.

For me, they came on suddenly. The need to escape. The feeling like I couldn’t breathe until I removed myself from a situation. The urge to run.

I guess I got that from him.

“Where do you think Dad is?” I asked Liam as we sat stiffly in uncomfortable chairs in the principal’s office.

I picked at the glittery butterfly wing on my backpack nervously. Dad had taken me to pick it out at the store before the school year started.

I hadn’t wanted this one. It looked too kiddish to me. I wanted the sparkly one with the silver sequins.

But Dad said it would get ruined going back and forth to school every day anyway, so really, it just made more sense to get the cheaper option.

It did make sense, and I didn’t want to make Dad upset by protesting. He was so busy with work that it wasn’t often I was able to go out and run errands with him. I didn’t want to ruin our time together by arguing.

“He’s probably stuck in traffic,” Liam said, his hawk-like attention focused on the principal and secretary whispering across the room from us.

“Do you think he’s coming?” I whispered, leaning across the armrest to get close to his ear.

For some reason, I was embarrassed that Dad wasn’t here yet. That we’d been left behind, or forgotten. No one else’s parents forgot to pick them up today.

It gave me a funny feeling.

“Of course,” Liam told me, sounding so mature for his age. “We’re his kids. What’s he going to do? Leave us here?”

The principal looked over at us and Liam stiffened, sitting up straighter in his chair. I was glad he was here with me. Liam always took care of things when Dad wasn’t around. I knew he’d handle this for us, too.

“We’re going to call your mother,” the principal said finally after what felt like an eternity of waiting.

“No,” Liam shook his head. “Dad picks us up on Tuesdays because he gets off early.”

“I understand that, Liam,” the principal said, “but it’s a half hour past dismissal time and we haven’t been able to get in contact with him.”

“He’ll be here,” Liam said defiantly. “He knows we’re waiting for him. I’m sure he’s rushing over right now.”

It made me feel better to hear him say it.

I trusted Liam because Liam never lied. Not to me, or anyone else. He told the truth, even when people didn’t want to hear it.