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Traes stared at me, incredulous.
“What is wrong with you?” he said. “I didn’t touch him!”
“No!” I yelled, and it made him start. “What you did was far worse!”
Traes made to get up. I towered over him. He might be big and muscular and strong, but I was in control right now.
“I convinced him to ask you to join us tomorrow even though he was certain you would say no,” I said. “I taught him to have some hope. He trusted me. And you didn’t even have the courtesy to give him your attention. Instead, you carried on reading your damn newspaper and didn’t even give him the time of day!”
“I always read my newspaper at mealtimes,” he spat. “It’s the only free time I have.”
“You’re a wealthy businessman,” I said. “If you want more free time, outsource more work. A million people could do your job as well as you.”
“I’m pleased to disappoint you. I happen to be the finest mine operator in the empire—”
“And the lousiest uncle. You’re a ghost in your own home.”
He bristled at that.
“You have no idea what I’ve been through!” he said. “You turn up here and think you know everything. You don’t know anything about us!”
“Which is why I wanted you to join us tomorrow!” I said. “And for your information, I know exactly what you’ve been through. I also know Cleb has been through a whole lot worse than you and he’s still got the balls to stand up and try to carry on with his life.”
“He’s been through three governesses in as many months,” Traes said. “I don’t think that’s a shining example.”
“You hired me to educate him. To help him. Now I can see what’s wrong with him. You. You’re the problem.”
Traes folded his arms.
“Here we go,” he said. “Heap blame on the hardworking uncle.”
“You don’t work hard for him! You work hard for yourself!”
“I never asked for this! I never asked to take care of him! He’s my nephew! I hardly know him!”
“And you never will unless you spend time with him!”
We were both panting and out of breath. I wasn’t sure I’d gotten through to him yet. I spoke softer.
“Your sister chose you,” I said. “And you accepted. You’re his godfather. He’s a little boy and his parents died. In all the world, all he has is you. He doesn’t have anyone else. He doesn’t even have his old school friends. He lives here with you now. He doesn’t have his work to bury himself in. And you sit at the dining table ignoring him as I’m sure you do every meal. He’s trapped in this world and the only way he can get your attention is to play up with his governesses.”
That struck home. The anger melted from his face and he turned as white as a ghost.
“He does it for attention?” he said.
“You might be a hotshot businessman in your office,” I said, “capable of seeing all the angles of a deal, but children are a mystery to you, aren’t they?”
“I’ve never had much cause to spend time with them,” he said softly. “He wears a suit every day. I figured he was still mourning his parents.”
I smiled and placed a hand on his arm.
“Traes,” I said. “Don’t you see? He doesn’t wear a suit to mourn his parents. He wears a suit so he looks more like you. He looks up to you. He admires you. He doesn’t have anyone else to cling to, so he chose to be more like you. Sure, he’s still sad about his parents. What kid wouldn’t be? But he loves you. And all he wants is for you to love him back. No judgments, no looking for problems.”
He was shaken to his core.
“How?” he said. “How do I do that?”
“He doesn’t need your money or your business or this big house. All he needs is for you to be with him sometimes. Just give him your time. It would be good for you too. He’s the only real family you have left. Your nephew was brave tonight. He did something even though he knew the answer would be no. You should be proud of him for doing that. Instead, you ignored him and shot him down.”
