“Someone filmed a moment out of context,” he said. “You know how it is these days. People love drama. I was joking about kids needing to behave. I never called my granddaughter anything cruel. Cara twisted it because she’s still angry about that boy leaving her with a baby. She’s always wanted to blame us for that.”
My teeth clenched so hard my jaw hurt. James put a hand on my arm, grounding me.
“Where is Lily?” I whispered.
Maria frowned and looked around.
“She was with us in the car,” she said. “She must have wandered off.”
Panic flickered in my chest. Then I heard a familiar little giggle from down the hallway. We followed the sound to the den, a smaller room off the kitchen where my dad kept his books and his television. Lily was sitting cross-legged on the rug, my parents’ old couch behind her. In her hands was her school-issued tablet, bright screen glowing. She looked up when she saw me and smiled.
“Mom,” she said. “You’re just in time. I’m working on my project.”
I crouched down beside her.
“What project, sweetheart?”
She tapped the screen.