Chapter 11 - We Tell Annelise the Truth
Annelise sat between Rachel and me at Rachel’s kitchen table.
Michael made pasta and disappeared politely.
“Did Uncle Caleb steal money?”
Straight.
I answered carefully.
“Uncle Caleb made some money decisions at work that he may not have been allowed to make.”
“Steal?”
“We do not know that he took money for himself.”
“Then why people say?”
“Because people use strong words before they know everything.”
She thought.
“Sloane says you stole it.”
“No.”
“Who right?”
Excellent question.
“Adults are reviewing records.”
She frowned.
“Boring.”
“Yes.”
Then:
“Why Sloane mad at me?”
Rachel looked at me.
I said:
“Sloane may believe money that should have helped her family was kept away.”
“Did I get it?”
“No.”
“Presents?”
“No.”
“None?”
“None.”
She relaxed visibly.
That hurt.
A seven-year-old had wondered whether her birthday gifts were morally contaminated.
I continued:
“The presents were gifts from people who love you. They were not taken from Sloane.”
“Then she lied.”
“Maybe she believed something wrong.”
“Same.”
“No.”
She frowned.
I explained:
“If I tell you something false because I think it is true, I am wrong. If I know it is false and say it anyway, that is a lie.”
She considered.
“Did Lenora lie?”
“We are still learning what she said.”
Then Annelise asked:
“Did you hide secret?”
“Yes.”
Rachel looked at me.
I continued:
“I kept the business problem private while lawyers figured out facts.”
“Bad?”
“Not automatically.”
“Why Lenora say secret?”
“Because she thought I would be embarrassed if people knew.”
“Are you?”
“Yes.”
That surprised her.
“Why?”
“Because Uncle Caleb and I should have had better controls. And because I tried to fix part of it too quickly.”
There.
No CEO mythology.
Then:
“Did you take Sloane money?”
“No.”
“Promise?”
“Yes.”
She nodded.
“Okay.”
The entire adult scandal became manageable once we answered the actual question she cared about.
Did my birthday hurt someone else?
No.
May you like
Children often ask the moral center faster than lawyers.
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