“Let him.”
Isaiah stood in front of Lorraine.
He held out a card.
“This is what I was doing.”
Lorraine looked at it.
Slowly, she accepted.
For the first time, she actually read every line.
Hawthorne Elementary.
Robo Cubs.
National showcase.
Official Adventure Kingdom STEM partner.
Isaiah’s photograph.
His name.
Lorraine’s hands began to shake.
“I’m sorry.”
Isaiah looked at her.
“You thought I was stealing.”
“Yes.”
“I wasn't.”
“No.”
“You didn't ask me.”
“No.”
He nodded.
“Okay.”
Relief appeared on her face.
Then he added:
“But I'm still mad.”
Lorraine’s expression changed.
Camille looked down, hiding a small smile.
Marcus did not hide his.
Lorraine nodded.
“You're allowed to be.”
Isaiah thought.
Then turned away.
No hug.
No forgiveness speech.
No sudden friendship.
Just a child allowed to remain angry about something unfair.
He returned to his parents.
Marcus handed him the water bottle he had been carrying the whole time.
“Drink.”
“Yes, sir.”
Camille raised one eyebrow.
“Oh, now you follow instructions.”
Isaiah smiled.
The family walked back toward the robotics booth together.
CHAPTER 7: DINNER THAT NIGHT
At home, Isaiah barely touched his peas.
Marcus noticed first.
“You have moved the same pea six times.”
Isaiah looked at him.
“Maybe I like that pea.”
Camille set down her fork.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Nothing.”
Marcus leaned back.
“That answer is banned.”
“By who?”
“Your father.”
“You can't ban answers.”
“I’m an engineer.”
“That doesn't make sense.”
“It rarely stops engineers.”
Isaiah almost smiled.
Then his face changed.
“I did everything right.”
Both parents became quiet.
Camille said:
“Yes.”
“I had the badge.”
“Yes.”
“I had the paper.”
“Yes.”
“I stayed where Dad said.”
Marcus nodded.
“You did.”
“I was nice.”
“Yes.”
“I told the truth.”
“Yes.”
His eyes filled.
“Then why did they keep asking me stuff?”
There was no easy answer.
Marcus hated that.
As a father, he could explain bridges.
Loads.
Traffic flow.
Why concrete cracked.
Why airplanes stayed in the sky badly enough to annoy an actual aerospace engineer.
This question had no satisfying explanation.
Isaiah continued.
“She was scared of me.”
Camille looked at him.
“I know.”
“I’m seven.”
“I know.”
“Why would somebody be scared of me?”
Marcus took a slow breath.
“Sometimes people are not actually responding to the person in front of them.”
Isaiah frowned.
“What does that mean?”
“They’re responding to ideas they've already built in their head.”
“About me?”
“About people they think are like you.”
Isaiah stared at his plate.