Chapter 4 — The Replication Test
Caleb lifted the heavy glass container of orange juice.
He carefully raised it toward the sagging right side of the upper refrigerator shelf.
The weight of the bottle placed immediate stress on the worn plastic track.
Abigail watched skeptically from across the kitchen island.
She kept her arms folded tightly across her chest.
She still believed Caleb was merely making excuses for the child.
“You’re just trying to cover for her,” Abigail said, her tone defensive.
“I am looking at the facts,” Caleb replied evenly.
He did not break his focus on the alignment of the wire rack.
Abigail sighed and shook her head.
“Children are clumsy, Caleb,” she insisted. “She bumped it. Just admit it.”
“Watch the track,” Caleb instructed quietly.
He held the base of the heavy glass bottle directly over the wire platform.
He carefully slid the container into the designated slot on the shelf.
The plastic support peg groaned under the sudden load.
Abigail narrowed her eyes, stepping a fraction closer to the refrigerator door.
Caleb let go of the bottle, initiating the physical test.
The shelf slipped instantly out of its track, sending the container crashing down to the floor once again.