Chapter 6 — Silence in the Kitchen
The silence in the kitchen grew heavy.
Abigail did not answer Caleb’s question.
She looked down at the fresh puddle of orange juice pooling near her shoes.
The broken track mechanism was clearly visible to everyone in the room.
The warped plastic tab on the right side of the refrigerator shelf was completely snapped off.
There was no way a child could have forced that break by simply setting a bottle down.
The structural failure had been waiting to happen.
Abigail remembered her harsh words from just minutes before.
She had accused Chloe of being careless.
She had told the sobbing girl to pay attention.
The weight of her own unfair judgment settled over her shoulders.
Abigail opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out.
She looked from the broken track to Chloe’s tear-stained face.
The realization that she had judged the situation without listening burned in her chest.
Abigail took a slow, hesitant step forward.
Her eyes remained fixed on the exposed metal rail inside the refrigerator.
Abigail reaches out a hesitant hand toward the shelf before pulling it back in embarrassment.