I opened my mouth again.
I didn’t know what I was going to say.
Before I could answer, my daughter pulled on my sleeve.
“Mom,” Zoe said.
Her voice was very quiet. Urgent.
“Mom. I need to tell you something.”
I looked down at her.
Her face was serious. Her freckles stood out against her pale skin. She was holding the box of Lucky Charms against her chest like a shield.
“Not now, baby.”
“Mom,” Zoe said. “It’s important. Please.”
She leaned close.
She stood on her tiptoes.
She whispered in my ear.
I looked at her.
I looked at her for a long time.
“Sweetheart,” I said quietly. “Are you sure?”
She nodded.
“I saw it myself,” she said. “From the end of the aisle. When we were in cereal. I was looking for the Lucky Charms on the end cap. I could see through the gap in the shelf.”
