Chapter 23 - Rosie asks why Bethany hurt her
“She was scared.”
Rosie frowned.
“Of me?”
“No.”
“Then why squeeze?”
“She thought you heard something she didn’t want Dad to know.”
“Mommy money?”
“Yes.”
“Did she steal it?”
Children prefer simple categories.
I said:
“She and Uncle Daniel used some of the charity’s money for things it was not supposed to pay for.”
“That’s stealing.”
“Some of it became fraud legally, yes.”
Rosie looked satisfied.
Four-year-old moral accounting can be more efficient than forensic accounting.
Then:
“Did Grandma know?”
“She knew some things were wrong with how they handled money. She says she didn’t know all of it.”
“Grandpa?”
“He tried to hide things after.”
Rosie thought.
“Family bad.”
I corrected:
“Some family members made bad choices.”
She leaned against me.
“You family.”
“Yes.”
May you like
“Then family okay.”
That answer nearly broke me.
