“If he calls me?”

“You can decide what relationship to have with your brother.

Just don’t give him information he isn’t authorized to have, and don’t ask Noah to explain anything to you for him.”

“I won’t.”

I believed her because she had already done something difficult without making Noah responsible for the decision.

At home that afternoon, school papers covered the living room floor.

Noah sorted them into three piles while I checked the names at the top.