Jace handed the phone to Grace in surrender. "Okay, clearly I'm not wanted here. Talk to your favorite person."
Charles brightened again as Grace came fully into view, cradling the phone in both hands as she lay on the bed, her face soft and warm. "So, how was school?"
"Boring. Nothing exciting. Except I got full marks on my math test."
Grace gasped, eyes wide with excitement. "Charles! That's amazing!"
He grinned proudly. "I studied extra because I wanted to show you when you got back. But you weren't back."
Her expression softened. "I'm really proud of you. I'll make it up to you, I promise."
Charles tilted his head. "You know what I don't get?"
"What?"
"Why you had to go anywhere without me in the first place? I mean, you always said family sticks together. But you left me all alone by myself and went with that man. Don't you love me again?"
"That's…too childish, buddy. Stop trying to whip sympathy from my woman," Jace muttered from the background.
