“Adjust? He wasn’t even given a chance!” I snapped, my patience fraying. “He called me, crying, feeling like he didn’t belong. That is not okay.”

Betsy’s expression shifted slightly, though it was hard to decipher if it was concern or simply annoyance. “I truly didn’t mean for him to feel that way. Perhaps it’s just a misunderstanding.”

But it didn’t feel like a misunderstanding. It felt deliberate. As if Timmy was being subtly pushed aside, made to feel like he was different—even though he was family. A gut-wrenching notion for any parent to confront.