“Apologize to Dafina!”
“Mrs. Penelope’s Mom, you gave your word—you can’t just back out now!”
One after another, the kids pressed Clarissa, their voices insistent. Clarissa’s strained composure began to crack; she was clearly struggling to keep it together.
Off to the side, a few parents had their phones out, filming everything.
“What on earth did the Vaughn woman do this time? Even the kindergarteners are cornering her.”
“You promised Dafina that if she won the grand prize, Penelope would get to have snacks with us. Doesn’t your promise count for anything?”
A little girl piped up from the crowd.
Penelope gazed up at her mother, her eyes brimming with tears. This was her one chance—Selene and Daph had fought hard for her to have it. But her mother clearly had no intention of keeping her word.
“Daddy,” Penelope whispered, clutching the leg of Quentin’s trousers, hoping for some sign of mercy from her father.
Quentin looked puzzled. “What snacks are they talking about?”
Clarissa’s face was set in stone, her voice sharp with irritation. “Selene made a bet with me. If Dafina took the top prize, I wouldn’t just have to go on stage and apologize—she and her little gang are insisting I let Penelope eat meat! Selene is trying to ruin my daughter’s future!”
Quentin hesitated, resting his large hand gently on Penelope’s head.
After Clarissa found out she was expecting a girl, she’d vowed to go vegetarian to earn spiritual merit for her daughter. After Penelope was born, Clarissa swapped out all the formula for soy milk and put her on a strict plant-based diet. The school tried to accommodate Penelope, offering her special vegetarian lunches and snacks, but Clarissa complained the portions were too large.
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