Utter silence dropped over them. Camille felt as if she’d been punched in the gut and couldn’t take the next breath of air.

“What an incredibly stupid thing for anyone to say,” her father commented. “Who would come up with such a stupid thing?”

“It doesn’t matter who. And I know it’s bullshit, but that’s what people are saying, and that’s why I got in trouble.”

Incensed, Camille grabbed her phone again. “This has gone far enough. I’m going to report everything to the police.”

“Mom, I’m begging you.” Julie plucked the phone from Camille’s hand. “Maybe if you didn’t act like the way my father died was such a huge secret, people wouldn’t gossip and make stuff up.”

“It’s not a secret. I just don’t like talking about it, because it’s painful.”

Julie glowered at her, and then at Henry. “You’re just alike, you know that?”

“I don’t know what you mean,” said Camille.

“Both of you had horrible things happen to you, and you refuse to talk about it.”

“That is a very good point. How did you get so wise?” asked Henry.

“I’m fourteen. I know everything.” Julie sniffed.

Camille looked at them both, seeing their pain and frustration. “I thought I was protecting you—and yes, myself as well—by keeping the past in the past.”

“I’m not blaming you, Mom. Or you either, Papi.”

“We know that,” he said. “Opening up is a risky process. But then, staying closed up creates its own kind of pain.” He patted Julie’s knee. “Perhaps this wise little one will do better than we have, eh? Perhaps she will learn to have more balance.”

Camille took her phone back. “Julie, I totally respect what you’re saying, and I absolutely don’t want to make things worse. But you need to understand that I’m not going to ignore this. I can’t.”

Now it was her father who took the phone away, setting it aside. “We will talk about this more, and decide what to do. Not tonight, though. Let’s have a nice dinner and talk about something else.”

Julie slumped into his shoulder. “Thank you, Papi. Yes, let’s do that. Please.”

He caught Camille’s eye over her head. She was on fire with fury over what had been done to her daughter, but there was no point in going on a rampage tonight.

While Julie went and washed up, Camille set out a plate of crudités and some drinks. A few minutes later, she could hear her father and daughter talking together, their murmured conversation soothing her own nerves. Papa had always had a calming effect on Julie. Now that Camille knew that her father had been bullied, she understood why he was so sensitive to Julie’s situation.

Camille had been lying awake night after night, wondering why she hadn’t seen it before. The symptoms had all been present, yet she’d been blind to them. The self-isolation, the weight gain, the dropping grades. How could she not have seen? Was she that oblivious to her own daughter?