Sophie Came Home With a Note Saying “DON’T TELL DAD” — Then Daniel Opened the Kitchen Cabinet
Chapter 2 — Behind the Cabinet Doors
Daniel followed Sophie’s finger.
She was pointing toward the tall pantry cabinets beside the refrigerator.
“What am I supposed to look at?”
Sophie remained silent.
Daniel opened the first cabinet.
Cereal.
Pasta.
Canned soup.
Nothing unusual.
He opened the cabinet below it.
Then stopped.
The lower shelves were packed with plastic food containers.
Dozens of them.
Some were clear.
Some were white.
Several had strips of masking tape across the lids.
Written on those strips were names.
GRADE 2.
GRADE 3.
ROOM 14.
FRIDAY.
Daniel frowned.
“What is this?”
He pulled one container out.
Inside were crackers, fruit cups, and packaged sandwiches.
Another container held juice boxes.
Another contained breakfast bars.
Daniel turned toward Sophie.
“Where did these come from?”
Before she could answer, footsteps entered the kitchen.
Rachel appeared behind him.
Daniel’s wife stopped immediately when she saw the open cabinet.
Her face lost its color.
“Daniel.”
He looked at her.
“What is all this?”
Rachel said nothing.
Daniel reached between two containers.
His fingers touched paper.
He pulled out another folded yellow note.
Rachel stepped forward.
“Don’t.”
Daniel opened it.
The handwriting was different this time.
Small.
Uneven.
Clearly written by a child.
THANK YOU MRS. MILLER. MOM SAYS WE CAN’T PAY YOU YET.
Daniel read it twice.
Then looked at Rachel.
“Pay you for what?”
Rachel closed her eyes.
Sophie began crying.
And Daniel suddenly understood that his daughter hadn’t been hiding one secret.
She had been carrying somebody else’s secret home every day.
