His daughter sat at the head of the party table with swollen eyes. His wife stood pale with fury. His grandmother watched the yard like a monarch preparing judgment. And half his relatives looked as though their private behavior had just been read aloud.

“What happened?” Daniel asked.

At the sight of him, Mia’s face crumpled. She ran into his arms, and he lifted her against his chest.

“They made me sit by the trash,” she whispered.

Daniel went completely still. Elena had seen that look only once before — the day a drunk driver nearly hit Mia’s stroller at a crosswalk. He didn’t shout. He didn’t explode. He looked at Vanessa. “You did what?”

Vanessa raised both hands. “Daniel, please don’t start. It was a seating issue that got exaggerated.”