“Thank you for telling the truth. Is there anything else you want to say? Like maybe why you cheated? I know you studied really hard for that test.”
Her eyes watered. “I did, and I still didn’t know the answer. And I—”
Twyla choked on the next words and the tears that were clogging her throat. She didn’t want to say it.
“And you what, little girl? You know you can tell me anything.”
He rubbed her back and it made her want to cry more. She had admitted that she was a cheater, that she’d been rude, and he was still being nice to her. Why? It would’ve made more sense if he’d told her to get out, that she’d failed and he didn’t want her anymore. Only perfect little girls were allowed here.
“I hated the idea of disappointing you so much. I wanted to get a really good grade so you would be proud of me and when I couldn’t figure out the answer, I freaked out. I don’t want you to stop loving me. I’m trying so hard, I promise.”
Her voice was squeezed and small and she buried her head in his shoulder again. Not because she thought she deserved the comfort but because she didn’t want him to see her cry. She’d turned into such a crybaby since she’d come to live with him and someday he was going to get sick of all her whining, she knew he would.
“Oh, sweetheart. I know you are. I know.”
He held her tight and it just made her cry harder. Ugh, why must her feelings come out in tears and snot and heaving sobs? So gross.
“I’m sorry that I haven’t made it clear that I think you’re doing an incredible job and I’m so proud of you. You amaze me every day with how hard you’ve been working. And I’m sorry too, that, hey—Can you look at me?”
She didn’t want to because no doubt her eyes were all red and puffy and her mascara was probably running down her face and she looked completely hideous. But she wouldn’t deny him. So she blinked her gaze to him, swiping at her cheeks with a fist.
He took her chin in his fingers and held her there.
“I’m sorry that I haven’t made it clear that I’m going to love you no matter what. It doesn’t matter to me how you dress, or if you get good grades. I want you to be the best Twyla you can be but I don’t expect you to be perfect ever. And it seems like it’s been a long time since anyone made you want to be good. Yes, I want you to be polite and well-behaved but if you’re not every second of every day, I won’t give up on you. You deserve someone who’s going to stick with you and as long as you try, I’ll be right here with you. So you never need to worry that I’m not going to love you anymore. I will.”