Dad released a breath that sounded almost like a laugh.
“That’s it? Of course. I’m sorry, Jordan.”
Mom nodded quickly. “If anything we ever said hurt you—”
“If?” I interrupted.
She blinked, then continued anyway.
“We didn’t mean it that way. They were jokes. But yes, we’re sorry.”
There it was.
Twelve years of cruelty reduced to an inconvenience.
Twelve years of humiliation softened into if you took it that way.
Jordan held out the check.
And I knew I could not let them take it like that.
I reached forward and took the check from his hand.
“No,” I said.
Everyone looked at me.