Amara's heart tightened. She reached over and gently cupped her daughter's cheeks. "You make that sound like it's a bad thing."
"It is." JJ met her mother's eyes. "It means people don't joke with me."
"They don't argue with me."
"They don't invite me to do silly things."
"They don't even say no to me." A small smile tugged at her lips.
"It's... lonely sometimes." Before Amara could think of a response, JJ glanced at the clock.
"I'm going to be late." She stood, slung her backpack over one shoulder, and hurried toward the front door. "I love you, Mummy." "I love you too, baby." JJ waved without turning around.
Then she was gone. The front door clicked shut. Silence filled the dining room. Amara remained where she stood, staring at the empty doorway. Two years ago, one of JJ's classmates had called her names.
The school had handled it. Julian hadn't.
