My daughter\u2019s best friend wore sunglasses at dinners, through sleepovers, and while brushing her teeth. She never removed them where anyone could see. Then boys at school ripped them off. My daughter came home sobbing. Only after telling me what she saw did she admit why her friend didn\u2019t trust her.<\/p>\n
The first thing Sofia did when she moved next door was tell my daughter her chalk house was wrong.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour windows are on the roof,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
Anna planted her hands on her hips.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re for birds.\u201d<\/p>\n
She moved next door.<\/p>\n
I watched from our porch, holding a basket of laundry.<\/p>\n
Anna drew a tiny door halfway up the wall.<\/p>\n
\u201cFor short birds.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia laughed so hard she dropped her chalk.<\/p>\n
Anna drew a tiny door halfway up the wall.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d known each other for five minutes.<\/p>\n
By lunchtime, they were best friends.<\/p>\n
Sofia was seven, just like Anna.<\/p>\n
She had moved in at the beginning of June and was polite, funny, and bossy about board games.<\/p>\n
By lunchtime, they were best friends.<\/p>\n
She also wore sunglasses everywhere.<\/p>\n
At first, I barely noticed.<\/p>\n
It was summer, and the girls spent their days racing scooters and drawing chalk villages across our driveway.<\/p>\n
Then she started wearing them indoors.<\/p>\n
She wore sunglasses everywhere.<\/p>\n
At lunch, during cartoons, and once while helping me roll cookie dough.<\/p>\n
\u201cCareful,\u201d I told her. \u201cYou\u2019ll get flour on your glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n
She wiped them with her sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s okay, Mrs. Suzana.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou\u2019ll get flour on your glasses.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
But I wondered.<\/p>\n
My husband, Harry, was away serving in the army.<\/p>\n
Anna missed him terribly, although she rarely admitted it.<\/p>\n
I wondered.<\/p>\n
Instead, she saved ordinary things to tell him: a crooked carrot from our garden, a bird that stole a cracker, and the squeaking wheel on her scooter.<\/p>\n
During one scheduled video call, Harry asked what she\u2019d been doing.<\/p>\n
\u201cMostly scooter racing, Dad.\u201d<\/p>\n
She saved ordinary things to tell him<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s winning?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSofia. But her scooter cheats.\u201d<\/p>\n
From beside Anna, Sofia protested.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt does not!\u201d<\/p>\n
Harry laughed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wish I could hear those races.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho\u2019s winning?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna looked at me.<\/p>\n
Then at the little digital recorder Harry had given her before leaving.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n
But that afternoon, she carried it outside.<\/p>\n
She didn\u2019t say anything.<\/p>\n
By July, Sofia practically lived at our house.<\/p>\n
She ate at our kitchen table with her sunglasses on, cleaned up without being asked, and once offered Anna three crayons when hers broke.<\/p>\n
Then came the sleepover.<\/p>\n
By July, Sofia practically lived at our house.<\/p>\n
The girls built a blanket fort, ate popcorn, and watched two movies.<\/p>\n
Sofia kept her sunglasses on through everything.<\/p>\n
Even while brushing her teeth.<\/p>\n
Even after changing into pajamas.<\/p>\n
Sofia kept her sunglasses on through everything.<\/p>\n
At midnight, I found Anna asleep and Sofia curled beside her, still wearing those glasses.<\/p>\n
The next morning, after Sofia went home, I asked Anna about them.<\/p>\n
\u201cHave you ever seen Sofia without her sunglasses?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I asked Anna about them.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot once?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes she takes them off, but I have to turn around.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stopped wiping the counter.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNot once?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says, \u2018Don\u2019t look yet.’\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnd you turn around?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course!\u201d She looked genuinely puzzled. \u201cShe asked me to.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia could read, run, and beat Anna at every board game in our cupboard.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe says, \u2018Don\u2019t look yet.’\u201d<\/p>\n
Whatever the glasses meant, her parents were handling it.<\/p>\n
So I left it alone.<\/p>\n
In September, both girls started first grade at the same private school.<\/p>\n
Anna wore her navy skirt, white polo, and new black shoes.<\/p>\n
Whatever the glasses meant, her parents were handling it.<\/p>\n
Sofia wore the same uniform and sunglasses.<\/p>\n
These were smaller, darker, and fitted closely to her face.<\/p>\n
Her mother adjusted them before the bus arrived.<\/p>\n
That told me enough.<\/p>\n
Sofia wore the same uniform and sunglasses.<\/p>\n
The school must have approved them.<\/p>\n
For almost three weeks, everything seemed fine.<\/p>\n
Anna talked about spelling tests, cafeteria pizza, and her classmates.<\/p>\n
She also mentioned Tyler.<\/p>\n
For almost three weeks, everything seemed fine.<\/p>\n
\u201cTyler keeps asking Sofia about her glasses, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat does Sofia say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe tells him to stop.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes he?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cTyler keeps asking Sofia about her glasses, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
I meant to ask her teacher whether the teasing was continuing.<\/p>\n
I wish I\u2019d done it that day.<\/p>\n
The following Tuesday afternoon, Anna came home crying.<\/p>\n
She was gasping so hard I could barely understand her.<\/p>\n
I wish I\u2019d done it that day.<\/p>\n
One backpack strap hung from her elbow.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom!\u201d<\/p>\n
I hurried across the living room.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened, sweetie?\u201d<\/p>\n
She grabbed my shirt.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey did it!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat happened, sweetie?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWho did what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe boys! They took Sofia\u2019s glasses!\u201d<\/p>\n
I set my hand on Anna\u2019s shoulder and waited for her to finish.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhere is Sofia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer mom came and got her.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe boys! They took Sofia\u2019s glasses!\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna nodded, then shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know!\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat her on the couch.<\/p>\n
\u201cStart at the beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWas she hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n
At recess, Tyler and two other boys followed Sofia behind the play structure, demanding to see her eyes.<\/p>\n
Sofia told them to leave her alone.<\/p>\n
Tyler laughed.<\/p>\n
Then he reached forward and snatched her sunglasses.<\/p>\n
Anna said Sofia screamed.<\/p>\n
Sofia told them to leave her alone.<\/p>\n
The bright sunlight made her squeeze her eyes shut.<\/p>\n
When she opened them, the boys stared.<\/p>\n
One laughed while another copied the way her eyes moved.<\/p>\n
Anna tried to grab the glasses back.<\/p>\n
When she opened them, the boys stared.<\/p>\n
A teacher heard the shouting and rushed over.<\/p>\n
By then, Sofia was crying so hard she couldn\u2019t explain what had happened.<\/p>\n
I pulled Anna close.<\/p>\n
\u201cThose boys had no right to touch her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia was crying.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed her face against my shoulder.<\/p>\n
Then she whispered something I almost missed.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, her eyes wouldn\u2019t stay still.\u201d<\/p>\n
I gently lifted her chin.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean?\u201d<\/p>\n
She whispered something I almost missed.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey kept moving back and forth. Sofia tried to look straight at me, but her eyes kept moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna\u2019s lip trembled.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe couldn\u2019t make them stop. And Tyler started copying her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I kept my voice calm.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat doesn\u2019t mean something terrible happened to her eyes today, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHer eyes kept moving.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBut the boys were laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was cruel. It wasn\u2019t Sofia\u2019s fault.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna wiped her nose and began picking at the cuff of her sleeve.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom, she thinks I told them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTold them what?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe boys were laughing.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna stared at her shoes.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer secret.\u201d<\/p>\n
I waited.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna?\u201d<\/p>\n
She began crying again.<\/p>\n
\u201cHer secret.\u201d<\/p>\n
And I realized the playground incident wasn\u2019t the only thing she was afraid of.<\/p>\n
A few days earlier, a girl in their class had asked Anna why Sofia never removed her sunglasses.<\/p>\n
Anna had answered without thinking.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe only takes them off when nobody\u2019s looking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The playground incident wasn\u2019t the only thing she was afraid of.<\/p>\n
Tyler had been standing nearby.<\/p>\n
He heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo she does take them off,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
Anna remembered him laughing, but she hadn\u2019t understood why.<\/p>\n
He heard.<\/p>\n
\u201cI didn\u2019t tell him to take them, Mom!\u201d she cried.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know you didn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just said it!\u201d<\/p>\n
I held her hands.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna, you shouldn\u2019t have shared something Sofia wanted private.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI just said it!\u201d<\/p>\n
She nodded miserably.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut Tyler chose to grab her glasses, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat was his decision, not yours,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Anna stared at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the teacher came, Sofia asked if I told.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat did you say?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cTyler chose to grab her glasses, Mom.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNothing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
She started sobbing again.<\/p>\n
I took her upstairs.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sat on her bed, clutching a stuffed rabbit Harry had given her.<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Sofia know you told someone?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe just thinks I did.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy was it a secret?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDoes Sofia know you told someone?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna hesitated.<\/p>\n
Then she told me about their game.<\/p>\n
Sometimes, when Sofia\u2019s eyes were tired, she\u2019d ask Anna to turn around.<\/p>\n
She\u2019d take off her glasses.<\/p>\n
Anna would describe things.<\/p>\n
She told me about their game.<\/p>\n
The view outside.<\/p>\n
The pictures in a book.<\/p>\n
The imaginary adventures of their dolls.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy didn\u2019t you just sit quietly?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause quiet makes Sofia think I\u2019m looking.\u201d<\/p>\n
The pictures in a book.<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t thought of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cSo you kept talking?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cSometimes she tells me to make it funny.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat kind of funny?\u201d<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t thought of that.<\/p>\n
\u201cLike when I said the squirrel outside was as big as a dog.\u201d<\/p>\n
I smiled.<\/p>\n
\u201cWas it?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. Sofia said I was being ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, Anna almost laughed.<\/p>\n
Then she looked down.<\/p>\n
\u201cSofia said I was being ridiculous.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cShe won\u2019t play with me anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
I was about to reassure her when she reached beneath her pillow.<\/p>\n
She pulled out Harry\u2019s little recorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere\u2019s something else.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed a button.<\/p>\n
\u201cShe won\u2019t play with me anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n
A faint squeaking sound filled the room.<\/p>\n
Then Anna\u2019s recorded voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s my scooter. It sounds like a mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia\u2019s voice followed.<\/p>\n
\u201cA mouse with a broken trumpet.\u201d<\/p>\n
A faint squeaking sound filled the room.<\/p>\n
Both girls burst into laughter.<\/p>\n
Anna stopped the recording.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe were making something for Daddy.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked at her.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat?\u201d<\/p>\n
Both girls burst into laughter.<\/p>\n
She opened a notebook.<\/p>\n
On the cover, written in uneven purple letters, were five words.<\/p>\n
THE SUMMER YOU MISSED, DADDY.<\/p>\n
Inside was a list.<\/p>\n
She opened a notebook.<\/p>\n
Scooters.<\/p>\n
Ice cream truck.<\/p>\n
Rain on the porch.<\/p>\n
Mom singing while washing dishes.<\/p>\n
I looked up.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou recorded all these?\u201d<\/p>\n
Mom singing while washing dishes.<\/p>\n
Anna nodded.<\/p>\n
\u201cDaddy said he wished he could hear our summer.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed another button.<\/p>\n
The ice-cream truck played its tune.<\/p>\n
Then Sofia announced, \u201cAnna is running because she thinks the ice cream will escape.\u201d<\/p>\n
She pressed another button.<\/p>\n
Anna\u2019s voice shouted, \u201cIt might!\u201d<\/p>\n
I laughed despite myself.<\/p>\n
Another recording captured me humming in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
Then Sofia whispered, \u201cYour mom sings the wrong words.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna replied, \u201cDon\u2019t tell her.\u201d<\/p>\n
Another recording captured me humming in the kitchen.<\/p>\n
I put a hand over my mouth.<\/p>\n
They\u2019d been collecting our ordinary days.<\/p>\n
And I hadn\u2019t known.<\/p>\n
Anna scrolled through the recordings.<\/p>\n
\u201cListen to this one.\u201d<\/p>\n
I hadn\u2019t known.<\/p>\n
There was a rustling sound.<\/p>\n
Then Sofia\u2019s voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t look yet.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not,\u201d Anna answered.<\/p>\n
A pause.<\/p>\n
\u201cTell me what\u2019s outside.\u201d<\/p>\n
There was a rustling sound.<\/p>\n
Anna began describing the backyard.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe roses are pink. There\u2019s a bird on the fence. He\u2019s very fat.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHow fat?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cLike a potato with wings.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia giggled.<\/p>\n
Anna began describing the backyard.<\/p>\n
Then she asked, \u201cAre you going to tell your daddy about my glasses?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna answered immediately.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You said not to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cGood.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWant to hear about the bird again?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo. You said not to.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly if he\u2019s still a potato.\u201d<\/p>\n
I stared at the recorder.<\/p>\n
My daughter had understood something I\u2019d spent the entire summer wondering about.<\/p>\n
Sofia didn\u2019t need anyone to solve her mystery.<\/p>\n
She needed someone who would let her keep it.<\/p>\n
I stared at the recorder.<\/p>\n
That evening, I called Sofia\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
I told her what Anna had described.<\/p>\n
She was quiet for a moment.<\/p>\n
Then she said, \u201cSofia has nystagmus. Her eyes move involuntarily, and she\u2019s sensitive to bright light.\u201d<\/p>\n
I listened.<\/p>\n
I called Sofia\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tinted glasses help her. She also feels more comfortable wearing them around other children.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cHas the school known all along?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYes. Her teacher has the accommodation paperwork.\u201d<\/p>\n
She sighed.<\/p>\n
\u201cUnfortunately, I didn\u2019t know the questions at recess had gotten this bad.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThe tinted glasses help her.\u201d<\/p>\n
I told her Anna had accidentally shared something private.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThank you for telling me.\u201d Then she added, \u201cSofia\u2019s very upset. She thinks Anna told Tyler everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna wants to apologize.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna had accidentally shared something private.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know. But Sofia needs a little time.\u201d<\/p>\n
I understood.<\/p>\n
The following morning, I contacted the school.<\/p>\n
Sofia\u2019s mother had already requested a meeting.<\/p>\n
She invited me to attend.<\/p>\n
I understood.<\/p>\n
The principal acknowledged that the boys had repeatedly questioned Sofia about her glasses and that the school should have noticed sooner.<\/p>\n
Tyler would face consequences, playground supervision would increase, and Sofia would not be forced to explain her condition to the class.<\/p>\n
The school should have noticed sooner.<\/p>\n
But none of that fixed what had broken between the girls.<\/p>\n
Anna had written Sofia a note.<\/p>\n
She\u2019d erased it three times.<\/p>\n
Finally, she handed it to me.<\/p>\n
Anna had written Sofia a note.<\/p>\n
Sofia,<\/p>\n
I told someone you take your glasses off when nobody looks. I\u2019m sorry. I didn\u2019t tell Tyler to take them. I should have kept our secret.<\/p>\n
I still want to be your friend.<\/p>\n
Anna<\/p>\n
I should have kept our secret.<\/p>\n
At the bottom, she\u2019d drawn two scooters.<\/p>\n
One blue.<\/p>\n
One purple.<\/p>\n
With Sofia\u2019s mother\u2019s permission, Anna left the note at Sofia\u2019s door.<\/p>\n
Then she waited.<\/p>\n
At the bottom, she\u2019d drawn two scooters.<\/p>\n
One day passed.<\/p>\n
Then another.<\/p>\n
She stopped riding her scooter.<\/p>\n
She stopped drawing chalk houses.<\/p>\n
She even stopped asking when Harry would call.<\/p>\n
She stopped riding her scooter.<\/p>\n
On Friday afternoon, I found her sitting on the porch with the recorder in her lap.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you send Daddy the summer recordings?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
She shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy not?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSofia\u2019s in them.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you send Daddy the summer recordings?\u201d<\/p>\n
I sat beside her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYes.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna ran her thumb over the recorder\u2019s buttons.<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t want to send her voice if she\u2019s mad at me.\u201d<\/p>\n
I put my arm around her.<\/p>\n
Anna ran her thumb over the recorder\u2019s buttons.<\/p>\n
We sat together until the porch light came on.<\/p>\n
Then my phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
It was a message from Sofia\u2019s mother.<\/p>\n
Sofia read Anna\u2019s note. She says she\u2019d like to see her tomorrow.<\/p>\n
My phone buzzed.<\/p>\n
I looked at my daughter.<\/p>\n
\u201cAnna?\u201d<\/p>\n
She raised her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cSofia wants to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna\u2019s eyes widened.<\/p>\n
\u201cIs she still mad?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cSofia wants to talk to you.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI don\u2019t know, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
She hugged the recorder against her chest.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she doesn\u2019t want to be my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n
I wished I could promise her otherwise.<\/p>\n
But this was one thing neither of us could decide for Sofia.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat if she doesn\u2019t want to be my friend?\u201d<\/p>\n
Saturday morning, Sofia waited beside her purple scooter.<\/p>\n
Anna approached slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m sorry,\u201d she whispered.<\/p>\n
Sofia adjusted her sunglasses.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy did you tell?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna approached slowly.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cI thought you were the only one who wouldn\u2019t.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna stared at her shoes.<\/p>\n
\u201cI know\u2026 I\u2019m sorry.\u201d<\/p>\n
For a moment, neither moved.<\/p>\n
\u201cI wasn\u2019t thinking.\u201d<\/p>\n
Then Sofia noticed the recorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you send your daddy our summer?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna shook her head.<\/p>\n
\u201cNot without asking you.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia considered that.<\/p>\n
Sofia noticed the recorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we listen first?\u201d<\/p>\n
They sat on the porch steps.<\/p>\n
Soon, their recorded laughter filled the air.<\/p>\n
Sofia giggled.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour scooter really does sound like a mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we listen first?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cA very fast mouse.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia nudged her.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can send it.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna looked at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cCan we send Daddy the recordings now?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can send it.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cOf course, sweetheart.\u201d<\/p>\n
That afternoon, we transferred the files to my phone and sent them to Harry.<\/p>\n
That evening, he called.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard everything,\u201d he told them. \u201cEven that squeaky scooter.\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna beamed.<\/p>\n
\u201cI heard everything.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hear Sofia?\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cEvery word. Thank you both.\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia smiled.<\/p>\n
Afterward, rain began tapping against the porch roof.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you hear Sofia?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna grabbed the recorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cReady?\u201d<\/p>\n
Sofia nodded.<\/p>\n
Anna pressed the button.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo you think Daddy can hear the big drops?\u201d<\/p>\n
Anna grabbed the recorder.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly if you stop talking,\u201d Sofia whispered.<\/p>\n
Anna giggled.<\/p>\n
From the kitchen, I watched them trying desperately to stay quiet.<\/p>\n
Neither managed it for long.<\/p>\n
\u201cOnly if you stop talking.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
My daughter\u2019s best friend wore sunglasses at dinners, through sleepovers, and while brushing her teeth. She never removed them where anyone could see. Then boys … <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17416,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[8,9,2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-20498","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-family","category-inspiration","category-story"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20498","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=20498"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20498\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":20499,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/20498\/revisions\/20499"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/17416"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=20498"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=20498"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailystoryus.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=20498"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}