For months, I had noticed strange changes in Lily. She was seven, usually cheerful, but lately she sometimes cried alone in her room and became frightened whenever Naomi entered. I assumed it was adjustment to our blended family. Then one evening Lily handed me a small laminated card and whispered that I should hide it. I asked why, but she only shook her head. On the back were nine dates, each marked with a tiny gold star. I did not understand what they meant until I found a small device hidden beneath a cabinet in the living room.

It looked like an ordinary button, but something about it bothered me. I pressed it once, and a tiny light blinked. Then I noticed a speaker grille and a recording indicator. My stomach tightened. I searched the device and discovered several saved files. When I played the first one, I heard Lily crying. Then I heard my own voice asking if she was okay. I had never known anyone was recording us. Then I saw the dates on the card again.