Shawna did not believe anyone at the table really wanted to be there. Sooner or later one of her parents was going to drop the bomb about the biology exam incident. She still felt foolish for getting involved in Destiny's plot.
Finally, her mother put down her fork and said, "Kids, just before dinner I told your father about an important decision I've made. Now I want to tell you about it." Collin quickly blurted out, "What kind of decision?" Shawna watched his eyes flit between his mother and father, unable to disguise his hope that the announcement might be about his parents getting back together.
Stevie delivered her news with as much enthusiasm as she could muster. "Collin, you and I are moving to Redding in the new state of North California." "What about you, Dad?" Collin said. "Are you moving to Redding too? You can be a counselor in one of their high schools." "No, I can't leave my job here, son," Jon said without emotion. "But I'll come up to see you as often as I can.”
Shawna felt her heart sinking. The announcement and the discussion clearly excluded her. She had been exploring ways to get closer to her mother again. Was this the punishment her parents had decided upon: her mother and brother leaving her behind and moving to another state? It had been her own doing, Shawna knew. She had stubbornly lashed out at her mother instead of owning up to her own bad choices. She had foolishly called the police and made an issue over the Child's Rights Act. She had pridefully refused to back down and avoid moving out of her own room. No wonder her mother was leaving the state without her. Shawna had conveyed in a number of ways that she did not want to be around her.
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