Go home and speak with your wife and Kyler

You arrive back home with Kyler and Ava standing in the living room. Kyler eyes downtrodden as Ava wears a lion's share stern look upon her face. You knew what was coming next. The air hung heavy with unspoken words as Kyler shifted her weight from foot to foot. Her eyes darted toward the door, but she stayed put, shoulders slumped in defeat.

Ava crossed her arms, her gaze sharp enough to cut glass. "Start talking," she said, her voice low and controlled. "And skip the 'it's complicated' part."

Kyler fingers twisting together with anxiety. "I didn't want to be a burden," she began, voice cracking. "Everyone at school talked about their loans crushing them. I saw friends dropping out. I panicked." She looked at Ava, then at you. "I thought if I could just... handle it myself, you wouldn't worry. Stealing felt like a shortcut. A terrible one."

Ava didn't move, her expression shifting from anger to something deeper, sadder. "A shortcut to what, Kyler? Jail?" She stepped closer, her voice softening just a fraction. "We had a plan. We have a plan. Your father and I worked extra shifts for years so you wouldn’t start life drowning in debt. Why throw that away?"

Kyler flinched at the word "jail," her knuckles whitening as she gripped the edge of the sofa. "Because it felt like cheating!" The outburst surprised even her. She took a shaky breath, lowering her voice. "All those late nights you both worked... Mom, I saw you crying after Dad’s back surgery because we couldn’t afford physical therapy. I couldn’t just take more from you." She played with her hair nervously.

You said a joke to ease the tension. "Well, at least you picked a store with a terrible security system. That guard looked like he hadn't run since high school."

Ava shot me a look that could've frozen lava. "Not helping, John" she muttered, but the corner of her mouth twitched. Just a flicker. The tension in the room eased by a fraction, like a taut wire going slightly slack. Kyler managed a weak, watery smile, her shoulders dropping an inch. She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand, smudging her eyeliner. Ava continues. "You know if you don't go back to college. We won't be paying your way. You'll have to work a full time job. You know that right?"

Kyler’s watery smile vanished. Her spine straightened, and she met Ava’s gaze with a flicker of defiance. "I know," she said, voice steadier now. "But I’m not going back. Not yet." She glanced at you, then back at her mother. "I need time. To figure things out. Without... without debt hanging over me."

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