One lie.
Spock, eight years old, sits on a stone bench. This is his favorite place in his mother's garden.
He is alone, among the roses and other flowers from distant planets. Usually, this environment brings him a sense of security and peace, but not today.
In the distance, he hears his mother in the kitchen. She is singing merrily while preparing pecan cookies, his favorites.
He sighs. How to fix this mess? Can he tell her the truth without hurting her?
Deep in thought, he doesn't notice his father's arriving.
Suddenly, his breathing gets faster and warmth invades his cheeks. No doubt that his ears took a darker green color.
Control your body, control your fear, control your shame, he repeats in his mind.
"Father..." He whispers, bowing his head.
"Why are you not in the kitchen with your mother, my son? Does she not need your help?"
"Father, I must confess a lie."
"Explain yourself, Spock." Sarek says, without anger nor deception in his voice. He is now sitting beside his son on the stone bench, his fingers intertwined in a meditative position.
"Father… Do you remember when all parents were invited to make cakes to celebrate the end of the school year…and Mother baked a batch of cookies with pecans and almonds for my classmates and teachers."
"I remember very well. You came back home with two empty baskets. You said that the cakes were all appreciated and eaten."
"Well…This was true. But …not entirely true."
"What has really happened, Spock?"
"When I arrived at school, I put the baskets on the table. I arranged each tray of cookies among the other cakes made by the other mothers. Then, my teacher, T'Larhi, without eating one cookie, claimed that Terran cakes were not healthy food… They were unfit for real Vulcan consumption. She told me to remove them from the table and to give to the selhats of school all the cookies."
"I see…All the cookies were appreciated and eaten by the selhats…not by your classmates and teachers." Sarek says, trying to contain his anger and happy to not be in front of the xenophobic teacher…
Spock remains silent a few minutes. He remembers this day and how he felt so ashamed.
"Father, I didn't want to lie to my mother nor you, but I knew that Mother would be sad and angry if I told her the truth… Father, can a lie not be preferable to the truth when the truth is hurtful?"
"Well my son, sometimes it is indeed preferable to lie…"
"Have you ever lied to my mother?" Spock asks quickly, not letting the time to his father to explain himself further.
"Spock. I'm Vulcan. Vulcans do not lie…But I'm also a diplomat…In some situations lying can help …"
"So …Can you help me with Mother? She is in the process of cooking the fifth batch of cookies…" Spock says to his father, his eyes are pleading.
"She is cooking for tomorrow?"
"Yes, Father. Tomorrow, each student must disclose his science project to all teachers… There will be a small award ceremony and an afternoon snack."
"Your mother has opened the mail from school, which invites the mothers to cook for the party?" Sarek asks.
"Yes." Spock says, sadly.
"Spock, go to your room. I will explain to your mother."
Spock got up without saying a word, trying to contain the flood of emotions that assailed him. He could not cry in front of his father.
One hour later this same afternoon, while lying on his bed, he hears his mother's screams and cries...And begins to cry with her.