Chapter 1: The Empty Shelf
Naomi Parker had imagined the moment all afternoon.
She had imagined opening the front door, rushing into the living room, and placing the biggest trophy she had ever won beside the smaller ones she had collected since elementary school.
She imagined her father staring at it in disbelief.
First Place — Ohio State Science Competition.
Even better, she had been selected for a special scholarship program.
And tucked safely inside the cream-colored envelope under her arm was something she still couldn't quite believe.
Ten thousand dollars.
At sixteen years old, Naomi had earned more money in one afternoon than she had ever held in her life.
She had spent the entire bus ride home thinking about college.
Tuition.
Books.
Maybe even a laptop that didn't freeze every twenty minutes.
She wasn't thinking about clothes.
She wasn't thinking about parties.
She definitely wasn't thinking about a car.
She was thinking about the future.
Naomi pushed open the front door of the suburban Columbus house.
"Dad?""
No answer.
His SUV wasn't in the driveway, so she wasn't surprised.
"Melissa?""
The television was playing in the living room.
Naomi hurried toward it, trophy clutched against her chest.
"I won—"
She stopped.
Her smile disappeared.
For a few seconds, Naomi genuinely wondered whether she had walked into the wrong house.
The long walnut shelf above the fireplace looked completely different.
Yesterday, it had held years of her life.
Science medals.
Academic certificates.
A spelling-bee plaque from sixth grade.
A tiny bronze trophy from her first elementary-school science fair.
A framed photograph of Naomi standing beside her mother, Rachel, when Naomi was seven.
All of it was gone.
Now the shelf was filled with photographs of Chloe.
Chloe at volleyball practice.
Chloe at homecoming.
Chloe holding a participation trophy from a summer soccer league.
Chloe wearing a cheerleading uniform.
Even Chloe's middle-school certificates had been arranged in matching silver frames.
Naomi stared.
"What happened to my stuff?""
Melissa Parker looked up from an armchair.
At forty-two, Melissa always seemed perfectly put together. Her hair was styled, her nails immaculate, and even at home she dressed as though somebody might photograph her.
She barely reacted.
"It's in the garage.""
Naomi thought she had misheard.
"What?""
"Your trophies. They're in the garage.""
"Why?""
A laugh came from the sofa.
Chloe, Melissa's seventeen-year-old daughter, was scrolling through her phone.
"Because nobody wants a shrine to you in the living room.""
Naomi looked from Chloe to Melissa.
"Those were my awards.""
"And these are Chloe's," Melissa replied.
Naomi's fingers tightened around her new trophy.
"There was room for both.""
Melissa sighed.
"Naomi, please don't turn this into another competition.""
"I didn't.""
"You don't have to. Everything in this house becomes about what Naomi won, what Naomi accomplished, what Naomi's teachers said about Naomi.""
Naomi couldn't believe what she was hearing.
"I didn't put most of those things there. Dad did.""
"Exactly.""
Something about Melissa's tone made Naomi's stomach tighten.
She turned and hurried toward the garage.
"Naomi," Melissa called.
Naomi ignored her.
She opened the garage door.
A cardboard box sat beside a stack of old paint cans.
For one terrible moment, she couldn't move.
Then she walked toward it.
Her medals had been thrown together in a tangled pile.
Certificates were folded beneath them.
Frames were cracked.
One plaque had a deep scratch across its face.
Naomi dropped to her knees.
"No.""
She began lifting things out.
A medal from seventh grade.
Her regional robotics certificate.
The ribbon from her freshman-year science competition.
Bent.
Crushed.
Discarded.
Then she saw the broken trophy.
It was tiny compared with the enormous one she had brought home that afternoon.
Cheap plastic.
Gold-colored paint peeling around the edges.
Probably worth fifteen dollars when it was new.
But Naomi's hands began trembling when she picked it up.
Her mother had given it to her.
Rachel Parker had been sick by then.
Naomi had been eight years old when she won a school science fair by building a homemade water filtration system.
Rachel had been too weak to attend the competition.
So she'd ordered Naomi a little trophy online.
BEST SCIENTIST IN THE WORLD.
Naomi still remembered her mother's laugh when she handed it to her.
"Maybe they exaggerated a little," Rachel had whispered.
Naomi had kept it ever since.
Now the base had snapped away from the figure.
Naomi swallowed hard.
She carried the entire box inside.
Melissa looked annoyed when she saw her.
Chloe finally put down her phone.
Naomi set the box on the coffee table.
"Who did this?""
Neither answered.
Naomi held up the broken trophy.
"Who broke it?""
Chloe shrugged.
"You have too many anyway.""
Naomi stared at her.
"Was it you?""
"Maybe it broke when I moved everything.""
"You threw everything into a box.""
"So?""
Naomi's voice dropped.
"That was from my mom.""
Chloe glanced at the broken trophy.
"It was cheap.""
Something inside Naomi snapped.
She stepped forward.
"Don't touch her things again.""
Chloe stood.
"Or what?""
"I'm serious.""
"So am I.""
"Chloe—"
Chloe shoved her.
Naomi stumbled backward against the coffee table.
The cardboard box tipped sideways.
Medals and certificates spilled across the floor.
Naomi looked down.
Then she pushed Chloe back.
Melissa flew out of her chair.
"DON'T YOU EVER TOUCH MY DAUGHTER!""
She stepped between them and wrapped an arm protectively around Chloe.
Naomi stared at her.
"She pushed me first!""
"I saw you put your hands on her.""
"She destroyed everything I earned!""
Melissa's face hardened.
"Then earn more.""
Naomi actually laughed.
Not because anything was funny.
Because the cruelty of those two words was almost impossible to process.
"Earn more?""
"Yes.""
Naomi picked up the broken trophy.
"I can't earn another one of these.""
Melissa rolled her eyes.
"Your mother gave you plenty of things.""
Naomi's face changed.
Even Chloe seemed to realize Melissa had gone too far.
Melissa folded her arms.
"What? I'm supposed to pretend Rachel's belongings deserve permanent display space in my home?""
"This is Dad's home too.""
"And I'm his wife.""
"And she was my mother.""
Silence.
Naomi bent down and began gathering her things.
That was when Chloe noticed the new trophy.
Her expression shifted.
"What's that one for?""
Naomi ignored her.
Chloe moved closer.
"Seriously. What did you win now?""
"Leave it alone.""
Chloe reached for it.
Naomi pulled it away.
"Don't.""
Chloe grabbed the other side.
"Let me see.""
"Chloe!""
They struggled for half a second before Naomi ripped the trophy free.
Melissa stepped forward.
"What did you win?""
Naomi hesitated.
She wished suddenly that she had never come through the front door smiling.
"State science competition.""
Melissa blinked.
"You won state?""
Naomi nodded.
"And I got accepted into a scholarship program.""
Chloe's jaw tightened.
Of course.
Another achievement.
Another reason teachers praised Naomi.
Another thing Chloe would hear about at dinner.
Then Chloe noticed the envelope.
"What's that?""
"Nothing.""
Melissa held out her hand.
"Naomi.""
Naomi didn't move.
"What is in the envelope?""
"It's mine.""
"You're sixteen. I'm asking you a question.""
Naomi exhaled.
"The competition came with an academic award.""
Melissa's eyes narrowed.
"How much?""
Naomi should have lied.
She knew that immediately.
But she didn't.
"Ten thousand dollars.""
Chloe sat upright.
"Ten thousand?""
Melissa's entire expression changed.
"Where's the money?""
Naomi stared at her.
"It's mine.""
"I didn't ask whose it was.""
"It's being deposited into an education account.""
Melissa held out her hand again.
"Give me the paperwork.""
"No.""
"Naomi.""
"No.""
Melissa's voice became colder.
"Money earned while you're living in this house belongs to the family.""
Naomi stared at her in disbelief.
"What?""
Chloe smiled.
"Perfect. I need a new car.""
Naomi looked at her.
"You have a car.""
"It's four years old.""
"It's a BMW.""
"It's used.""
Naomi almost couldn't speak.
"I'm using the money for college.""
Melissa walked toward her.
"You don't make financial decisions at sixteen.""
Before Naomi realized what she was doing, Melissa snatched the envelope from beneath Naomi's arm.
"Give that back!""
Naomi grabbed for it.
Melissa jerked away.
"Stop behaving like a child.""
"It's mine!""
"Everything isn't about you!""
Naomi reached for the envelope again.
Then the front door opened.
All three froze.
Daniel Parker stepped inside.
He was home almost two hours early.
"What's going on?""
Nobody answered.
His gaze moved across the room.
First Chloe.
Then Melissa.
Then Naomi.
His expression changed immediately when he saw tears on his daughter's face.
"Naomi?""
Melissa spoke before Naomi could.
"Thank God you're home. Naomi attacked Chloe over some trophies.""
Chloe's expression transformed instantly.
Her lower lip trembled.
"She shoved me.""
Daniel looked at Naomi.
Naomi felt something sink inside her chest.
For years, she had learned how quickly adults believed the person who spoke first.
But Daniel didn't speak.
His eyes moved downward.
A medal lay beside his shoe.
Then he noticed another.
And another.
He followed the trail toward the overturned cardboard box.
Daniel slowly bent down.
He picked up a certificate.
Naomi Parker — Outstanding Achievement in Chemistry.
Then another.
A framed photograph of Rachel and Naomi.
The glass was cracked.
Daniel's face went still.
"Why is this on the floor?""
Nobody answered.
He looked toward the shelf.
For the first time, he seemed to notice that every trace of Naomi had disappeared.
Daniel walked toward the box.
He knelt beside it.
His hand stopped over the broken little trophy.
Naomi watched him recognize it.
Rachel had ordered that trophy only months before she died.
Daniel stood.
"Who put these in the garage?""
Silence.
His voice hardened.
"I asked a question.""
Naomi wiped her cheek.
"They did.""
Melissa immediately shook her head.
"Daniel, you're getting one side of the story.""
"Then give me yours.""
Melissa hesitated.
"Naomi gets too much attention. Chloe deserves to feel important too.""
Daniel looked toward the shelf.
Then the damaged box.
"So you broke Naomi's things to make Chloe feel better?""
"I didn't break anything intentionally.""
Chloe suddenly shouted.
"She always gets everything!""
Daniel turned.
"What?""
"Everything is always Naomi!""
"Those are awards she earned.""
"And she got ten thousand dollars!""
The room went silent.
Daniel's eyes moved slowly toward Melissa.
"How do you know about that?""
Naomi pointed at the envelope in Melissa's hand.
"She took it.""
Daniel's jaw tightened.
"Give it back.""
Melissa held the envelope closer to herself.
"Daniel, we're a family. The money should benefit both girls.""
"No.""
His answer was immediate.
"It belongs to Naomi.""
"But—"
"Give my daughter her envelope.""
Chloe shot to her feet.
"That's not fair!""
Daniel looked at her.
"What isn't fair?""
"Mom already promised me the car!""
Nobody moved.
Naomi slowly turned toward Melissa.
"What car?""
Melissa's face went pale.
May you like
And for the first time that afternoon, Naomi realized the broken trophies might not be the real reason everyone was fighting.
They might only be the first thing she had discovered.
