Chapter 16
Ethan wanted to fix the airplane.
Rachel expected him to ask for a new one.
He didn’t.
Two days later, he carried the broken pieces to his model table.
“Mom?”
“Yes?”
“Can wing go back?”
Rachel sat beside him.
“We can try.”
The tail was crushed.
One wing split.
The propeller chipped.
Ethan touched the damage carefully.
“Jason hates it.”
Rachel looked at him.
“No.”
“What?”
“Jason hated what it meant.”
Ethan frowned.
Three-year-old confusion.
Good.
He didn’t need the full burden.
Rachel simplified.
“He was angry.”
“At me?”
“At a lot of things.”
Ethan looked down.
“Because I’m not family?”
Rachel’s chest tightened.
She crouched.
“Look at me.”
He did.
“You are family.”
“Jason said no.”
“Jason was wrong.”
Ethan thought.
Then asked the most important question.
“Does Jason know?”
Rachel almost smiled.
“He’s learning.”
Jason requested to apologize that afternoon.
Rachel asked Ethan.
Not Daniel.
Not the capos.
Ethan.
“Do you want to see Jason?”
“No.”
That answer stood.
Jason heard through the guard.
He became angry.
Then embarrassed.
Then quiet.
Alyssa asked to help repair the plane.
Rachel asked Ethan again.
He thought longer.
“Okay.”
Alyssa sat at the model table.
She did not touch anything until Ethan handed her the broken wing.
“Here?”
He nodded.
She held it while Rachel applied glue.
Ethan watched.
Then said:
“Jason broke it.”
Alyssa swallowed.
“I know.”
“You laughed.”
Her face changed.
Rachel looked at her.
She had not known that.
Alyssa whispered:
“I did.”
Ethan stared.
“I’m sorry.”
No excuse.
No Dad told me.
No Jason made me.
Just sorry.
Ethan considered it.
Then handed her the propeller.
Not forgiveness.
A small permission.
Enough.
Across town, Daniel sent three messages asking to see Ethan.
Rachel answered none.
The question belonged to Ethan.
Not Daniel’s guilt.
That evening, Jason passed the family-room doorway under guard.
He saw Rachel and Ethan rebuilding the airplane.
Stopped.
Then noticed Alyssa helping.
His expression twisted.
For one second Rachel expected another insult.
Instead Jason looked at the empty space where his gaming setup had been.
May you like
Then at Ethan.
And finally understood which loss actually mattered.
