MY NEW DAD & ME.
I covered my mouth.
Lisa spoke quietly.
“It was supposed to be your wedding present.”
Brandon carefully lifted the frame.
“It’s perfect.”
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Then he looked back into the suitcase.
“But where’s the drawing?”
Lisa froze.
“Dad Brandon, no.”
He had already picked up a folded sheet of construction paper.
Her reaction stopped him.
“What is it?”
Lisa looked down.
Her eyes filled with tears.
“Gran-Barbara told me to throw it away.”
Brandon’s face changed.
“You showed it to her?”
Lisa started crying.
He looked toward his mother.
Then he unfolded the drawing.
There were four stick figures standing together holding hands.
Lisa had labeled each one with purple marker.
MOM.
DAD.
ME.
GRANDMA.
Except GRANDMA had been crossed out with two thick blue lines.
Beside it, written in unmistakably adult handwriting, was one word.
NO.
Brandon stared at the page.
