You were doing what you have always done.

You were power-tripping on a child because he was small and you were big and you knew he couldn’t fight back.

You’ve done it your whole life.

I just never had the courage to say it out loud until you nearly killed my son.” “Watch your mouth, Julian!” Arthur barked, and Julian let out a single cold, humorless laugh.

“Even now,” he said, “after all of it, the only thing you can think about is your own pride.” And he ended the call, and he did not say goodbye.

What struck me most about that phone call, listening to it, was that Arthur never once asked how Lucas was.