Wilfred recalled that morning, when he'd dropped Penelope off. Hilary had been carrying a paper bag.
If he had to guess, Patrick had prepared it for her.
"Ms. Perry, here's the thing. I've divorced Hilary's mother. She has custody, so anything that happens with Hilary at school isn't my responsibility. You should call her mother. Or contact her new dad."
"What??"
On the other end, Lola Perry was stunned.
She hadn't expected him to say that.
But even after a divorce, shouldn't a parent still handle their child's problems?
"Um, Mr. Dickerson, Hilary said the honey buns were prepared by you. So technically, you'd be the one responsible."
Angry voices erupted in the background.
"Ms. Perry, have you reached that kid's parents yet? My child is practically dehydrated from all the diarrhea! Someone needs to take responsibility!"
"Exactly! What kind of parent lets their kid bring street food to school?"
"Get the parents here now, or I'm calling the police!"
Ms. Perry pleaded and cajoled, barely managing to quiet the crowd.
"Mr. Dickerson, you can see how complicated this is. If you don't come, I can't resolve this."