Ava Was Accused of Taking Missing Money — Then the Security Camera Showed She Had Only Picked Up Cash Someone Else Dropped
Chapter 7 — Ava Asks Why Adults Believe Numbers More Than Her
Later that morning, Nicole sat beside Ava in the living room.
Ava was coloring again.
Nicole waited until the child looked toward her.
“Can I explain something?”
Ava shrugged.
Nicole took that as permission.
“I thought one hundred and sixty dollars was missing.”
Ava listened.
“It wasn’t.”
Ava frowned.
“Where was it?”
“I already spent it.”
“Flowers and decorations.”
“I forgot.”
Ava stared at her.
“You forgot your money?”
Nicole smiled weakly.
“Yes.”
Then Ava asked the question Nicole wasn’t expecting.
“Why you believe counting and not me?”
Nicole went silent.
Sarah, standing in the doorway, heard it too.
Ava continued:
“I said floor.”
“You said no.”
“I said I didn’t take.”
“You said stealing.”
Nicole’s eyes filled.
The child had understood the imbalance perfectly.
Nicole trusted her own memory of a number more than Ava’s direct explanation.
Even though Nicole’s memory was wrong.
“I shouldn’t have,” Nicole said.
Ava looked at her.
“Because grown-ups wrong too?”
Nicole smiled sadly.
“Yes.”
“Sometimes very wrong.”
Ava nodded.
Then returned to her coloring.
Nicole remained beside her.
She did not force a hug.
Did not ask whether Ava forgave her.
She had apologized.
Now she needed her future behavior to make that apology believable.
