Chapter 4 - The Price of Belonging
By Thursday, the canceled vacation had become the subject nobody could escape.
Cameron barely touched his breakfast.
Brielle stayed in her room.
Renee moved around the house with deliberate silence, refusing to answer Daniel unless the subject was practical.
Nia tried to make herself invisible.
She came downstairs early, packed her lunch, and washed the dishes without being asked.
Daniel found her wiping the counter after everyone else had left.
“You don't have to do that.”
“It's okay.”
“Nia.”
She stopped.
“You've already cleaned the kitchen twice today.”
She shrugged.
“I don't want Renee to say I'm making trouble again.”
Daniel took the dishcloth gently from her hand.
“Go get ready for school. I'll finish.”
Nia stared at him, almost suspicious.
Then she picked up her backpack and left.
Daniel stood in the quiet kitchen for several minutes.
He had always believed himself to be a responsible father.
He paid the bills, attended school meetings when possible, and made sure Nia had everything she needed.
But he had mistaken providing a home for making a child feel secure inside it.
That afternoon, Cameron confronted Nia beside the stairs.
“Now nobody gets to go because of you.”
Nia stopped walking.
“I didn't cancel anything.”
“You told Daniel.”
“He saw the tickets.”
“Mom said you made him choose.”
Daniel heard the conversation from his study.
He stepped into the hallway.
“Cameron.”
The boy turned.
Daniel approached slowly.
“Nia didn't cancel the trip. I did.”
Cameron looked down.
“But we were excited.”
“I know. And it's okay to be disappointed.”
The boy swallowed.
“Then why couldn't we go?”
“Because I asked for a vacation that included all three children. That's not what was booked.”
Cameron frowned.
“So if Brielle got left out, you'd cancel too?”
“Yes.”
“And if I got left out?”
“Absolutely.”
Cameron thought about that.
Then he went upstairs without speaking.
Daniel found Nia leaning against the wall.
“You didn't need to apologize to him,” she said.
“I wasn't apologizing for canceling.”
She looked at him.
“I was explaining that he matters too.”
For the first time that week, Nia's shoulders relaxed slightly.
That evening, Patrice came over.
She found her brother in the kitchen sorting through the household schedule.
“She's been doing all this?” Patrice asked.
Daniel nodded.
There were more chores assigned to Nia than to either of the other children.
He had assumed Renee was distributing responsibilities fairly.
He had never looked closely.
Patrice placed the paper down.
“Daniel, I know you're angry with Renee. But you have to ask yourself something.”
“What?”
“Why did Nia believe nobody would help her?”
Daniel had no answer.
Patrice lowered her voice.
“Children don't start hiding hurt for no reason. Somebody teaches them it's safer.”
Upstairs, Nia sat on her bed with the photograph of Alicia she kept on her nightstand.
She remembered her mother braiding her hair before school, humming whenever she couldn't remember the words to a song.
Since Alicia died, Nia had tried hard not to make her father sad.
When he remarried, she tried even harder.
She didn't dislike having a stepmother.
She disliked feeling that loving her own mother was somehow an offense against Renee.
That night, Daniel knocked on her door.
“Can I come in?”
Nia nodded.
He sat beside her.
“Your aunt told me something important today.”
Nia looked anxious.
“Did I do something?”
“No.”
He glanced at Alicia's photograph.
“I think I've been asking you to adjust to everything without checking how much it was costing you.”
Nia's expression changed.
“Dad, I don't want you to get divorced because of me.”
Daniel felt his heart tighten.
“Sweetheart, the adults are responsible for their marriage.”
“But Renee says you were happy before I started complaining.”
Daniel shook his head.
“You telling the truth isn't what caused this.”
Nia looked down at her hands.
“Could I stay with Aunt Patrice for a while? Then everyone could stop fighting.”
Daniel went still.
His daughter was offering to leave her own home to make the adults comfortable.
Before he could answer, Renee appeared in the doorway.
“I've packed some things,” she said.
Daniel stood.
“Where are you going?”
“To my sister's. The kids are coming with me.”
“We can talk about this.”
“We've talked enough.”
She glanced at Nia.
“When you're ready to stop letting a child control this household, you know where to find me.”
Daniel moved toward the door.
“Don't put that on her.”
But Renee had already turned away.
An hour later, Daniel watched Brielle and Cameron climb into their mother's car.
He helped Cameron with his seat belt and told both children they could call him whenever they wanted.
He had been their stepfather for almost two years.
He wasn't going to pretend those years meant nothing.
When the car disappeared down the street, Daniel returned inside.
Nia was waiting near the staircase with a small overnight bag.
He stared at it.
“What's that for?”
“I thought you might want me to go to Aunt Patrice's too.”
Daniel knelt in front of her.
“No, sweetheart.”
His voice broke.
“This is your home.”
Nia's eyes filled.
“Are you sure?”
He looked at the bag, then at his daughter.
May you like
And he understood how much damage had already been done.
She was still asking permission to belong.
