Chapter 23 - Liam Stops WatchingLiam developed a habit.
Every morning:
Look at camera.
Green light?
Good.
After lunch:
Check again.
Still uncovered?
Good.
His mother noticed.
The child who exposed Mrs. Dalton’s lie had begun believing safety depended on him.
The counselor corrected it.
“Who checks the cameras?”
Liam shrugged.
“Me.”
“No.”
He looked confused.
“Adults.”
“What if they don’t?”
“Then another adult checks.”
“What if cloth?”
“System alerts now.”
Liam stared.
“So I don’t?”
“You don’t.”
The school had wanted to give him an award.
His mother refused.
“He is seven.”
“But what he did was brave.”
“Yes.”
“Shouldn’t we recognize—”
“No.”
She looked at the board.
“Do not turn the fact that my son had to fix an adult failure into inspirational marketing.”
Silence.
No award.
Liam received an ordinary reading certificate at year’s end.
He liked it.
Two years later, his family moved.
Before leaving, he gave Amara a card.
YOU’RE MY FRIEND.
No camera.
No hero story.
Exactly right.
May you like
The responsibility had finally returned where it belonged.
To adults.
