As soon as Edie got home, she went straight to Cecil's room. He had a strange look on his face, and eyes were full of tears, he sniffled and wiped them away. "What happened?" she asked, sounding worried.
Cecil put his head in his hands to hide his face. "I'm sorry," he said. His voice sounded muffled, but Edie could make out the words quite clearly. He raised his head and looked at her helplessly. "I promise I'll be good."
"Are you hurt?" she asked, her voice quivering as she spoke.
Cecil hesitated, then said slowly, "He spanked me."
Edie took him in her arms and hugged him. Right at that moment, Stuart entered the room, "Look what Edie brought you," he said as he passed Cecil a bag full of snacks.
"Stuart, you shouldn't....." she was immediately interrupted by Stuart.
"I know what you're going to say, but he deserved it. Cecil and I now have an understanding, don't we?" he looked at Cecil, waiting for a reply.