His voice was unusually calm.
That somehow made the room feel colder.
Valentina stood behind me, clutching the sleeves of her hoodie.
Daniel noticed.
He turned the phone slightly so his parents could see her.
“Look at her.”
Renata’s expression changed.
“Valentina, sweetheart—”
“Don’t talk to her,” Daniel interrupted.
His mother blinked.
“Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
I had never heard Daniel speak to his mother that way.
Not once in the fourteen years I’d known him.
He had always been the peacemaker.
The son who apologized first.
The son who swallowed uncomfortable comments during holidays.
The son who kept giving his parents second chances.
But tonight, something had broken.
And I suspected it had been breaking for a very long time.
Renata crossed her arms.
“We were only teaching her generosity.”
“You told a nine-year-old child that she wasn’t allowed to call you Grandma unless she handed over her birthday present.”
Renata’s face hardened.
“She has plenty.”
“That’s not the point.”
“Mateo doesn’t have a computer.”
“Then you should buy him one.”
Silence.
Victor finally spoke.
“Daniel, watch your tone.”
Daniel looked directly at the screen.
“No, Dad. I’m done watching my tone.”
My heart skipped.
Victor’s eyebrows tightened.
“What’s that supposed to mean?”
Daniel took a slow breath.
“It means I’m done pretending I don’t notice what you’ve been doing.”
Renata looked confused.
“What we’ve been doing?”
Daniel glanced at me.
Then back at the phone.
“How many times have you asked Valentina for money?”
Renata’s face went completely still.
I felt my stomach drop.
Money?
Valentina was nine.
“What are you talking about?” I asked.
Daniel didn’t look away from the screen.
“Tell them, Mom.”
Renata stood abruptly.
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Really?”
Daniel unlocked his phone.
“I have the bank alerts.”
My confusion deepened.
“What bank alerts?”
Daniel finally looked at me.
“Remember the small savings account we opened for Valentina when she was six?”
I nodded slowly.
He continued.
“We put a little money into it every month. Birthday money. Christmas money. Whatever relatives gave her.”
“Yes.”
“Three months ago, there was a withdrawal request.”
