He was not yet skilled at accepting responsibility, and some days he slipped back into blaming other people, but there was no longer a household bank account ready to absorb every consequence.

Evelyn asked both children to attend a family counseling session.

Priscilla refused.

Garrett went once, mostly to complain about how unfairly people were treating him.

The counselor asked whether he could describe Iris’s injuries without mentioning his own disappointment.

He struggled.

“I threw the coffee,” he said finally.

“She was hurt.”