Maddie got dressed and left her bedroom. She stopped abruptly when she saw her parents and Todd at the dining room table. They were all looking at her.
"Honey, we're sorry," her mother said after a lengthy pause. "Todd was right. We were being unreasonable and you did nothing to deserve it. Go ahead and schedule an eye appointment, and we'll make sure we get you there. We'll pay for it. You've been wonderful, and we both jumped to the wrong conclusion."
"Thank you," Maddie said softly. She finally resumed walking out to the kitchen, where she poured a bowl of cereal with milk. Todd got up and brushed by her with a soft "excuse me" when he put his dishes into the sink. Maddie impulsively turned and rose on tiptoe to plant a kiss on her brother's cheek. "Thank you for sticking up for me,"
