Diane reacted with her usual bravado. “Guess I’m that important, huh?” she smirked. But beneath the sarcasm, Carol noticed her fidgeting, her restless tapping fingers. Her daughter wasn’t immune to the tension, though she hid it behind jokes. Carol wished she could do the same.
In the supermarket later that day, Carol overheard two parents whispering about the new head. “Sharp as a blade, that one,” one said. “Doesn’t forget a thing.” The words sliced through her like ice. She dropped a can from her basket, the metallic clatter echoing too loudly.