My grandson secretly gave me a walkie-talkie for our bedtime chats — one night, it ended up revealing a conversation I wasn’t meant to hear.

Silence stretched tight. Thomas stared at his hands. Lila opened her mouth, then closed it.

Max looked up at me, confused. “Are you mad, Grandma?”

I knelt beside him. “Not at you, sweetheart. Never at you.”

“Can we still use the walkie-talkies?”

I touched his cheek. “Every night. That’s our special thing.”

Thomas finally spoke. “Mom… please. We’re sorry. We’ll pay it back.”

“With what?” I asked softly. “With what money?”