My daughter was the only kid not invited to her best friend’s sweet 16—when I called to ask why, she whispered, “You’d better-ask your husband.”

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“I just want to know what I did wrong. Why is she being so cru:el to me?”

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My husband, Holt, seemed just as confused as I was. He hugged Isla and called Piper’s behavior unacceptable, promising he’d get to the bottom of it.

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But something about his reaction didn’t sit right with me. He hugged her a beat too long. He avoided my eyes when he said Piper’s name.

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These girls had loved each other for eleven years. You don’t erase your best friend overnight for no reason.