didn’t matter.”

Jason stared down at the papers spread across the table.

He had nothing to say to that.

None of his desperation excused what he’d done.

With Denise’s help, Mom revoked every authorization she hadn’t knowingly approved. The bank opened a formal review, I took back Jason’s spare key, and Mom locked away all of her financial documents.

Jason was no longer allowed to be alone with her.

But the person I owed the biggest apology to was Tyler.

That night, I sat beside him on his bed.

“I should’ve listened.”

He picked at the edge of his blanket.

“I tried to tell you.”

“I know.”

He looked up at me.

“I tried to tell you without telling you.”

I still think about that sentence.

Adults love asking children why they didn’t speak sooner.

Sometimes they do speak.

They just don’t use adult words.

A few nights later, I