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BY DAY FOUR, I WAS LOSING

Not legally.

Personally.

June developed an ear infection.

Evie refused every food except crackers.

Theo had nightmares.

Grace screamed at me because I washed her mother’s old sweater.

Mason began hiding food.

I discovered granola bars under his mattress.

Bananas inside a backpack.

Bread wrapped in tissues.

My first instinct was to correct him.

Then training kicked in.

Children don’t hide food because they are bad.

They hide food because somewhere in their life, food became uncertain.

So I filled a basket.

Crackers.

Fruit bars.

Applesauce.

I put it in the bedroom.

“This is yours.”

Mason stared.

“You don’t have to hide anything.”

He said nothing.

The next morning, the basket was under his bed.

Progress, apparently.