“He was just painting,” my own recorded voice answered quietly from across the room.

“Chloe needs to apologize and move her foot.”

A heavy dining chair scraped hard against the floorboards as Brenda stood up.

“Chloe, stop letting that annoying brat disrespect you, put him in his place right now!” Brenda screamed through the speakers.

A sudden scuffle came through the microphone, followed immediately by the dull thud of a seven-year-old’s ribs hitting the edge of the mahogany table.

A wooden crack rang through the speakers, followed instantly by Toby’s agonized, high-pitched scream.