"Tyler's parents are overseas all year round. I've been the one raising him since he was little. Even a scraped knee breaks my heart."
She pulled up the boy's sleeve, shoving a ghastly purple bruise right under Reginald's nose.
"Now he's been beaten like this, and I can't even get a basic apology for him. How can I face him when he calls me Auntie?"
Reginald didn't hesitate any longer. He turned to the teacher.
"If Moira refuses to apologize, we're requesting that this be handled formally."
"If a student can assault another child and face zero consequences, every other kid in this school will think that's acceptable."
I stared at him in disbelief. "Are you threatening me?"
Reginald couldn't meet my eyes. His voice softened.
"Hailey, you were nearly detained today for hitting someone. Do you really want Moira following in those footsteps?"
"It's just an apology. I promise no one will say those things to her again."
Moira lifted her head from my arms. Her voice was small, but every word was clear.
"Mommy, if I say sorry, will they stop making things hard for you?"
My eyes burned. I swallowed the ache in my throat and stroked her hair.
"You don't need to apologize. You didn't do anything wrong."