"How could we lose the salt shaker?" Carlisle frowns as he rummages through the kitchen cabinets.

"Your sodium is already high." Esme says back. "You don't need any salt!"

"My sodium is just fine, Esme."

"Sure it is." Esme says with a roll of her eyes.

"Seriously, where could it be?" Carlisle asks again.

"Better check Jasper's pockets." Edward murmurs. I shoot him a dirty look.

"Edward Mason!" Esme scolds him. Carlisle turns to face us.

"What did you say?" Carlisle asks him with a scowl. Edward doesn't answer. Instead, he glares at me.

"He said to check Jasper's pockets." Esme explains with a sigh. Carlisle sets his jaw and points towards the stairs.

"Go to your room! You're grounded for the rest of the night." Carlisle orders. Edward huffs and slams his hands on the table as he stands from his chair at the dinner table.

"Why am I being punished when he's the thief?" Edward asks angrily. The scowl on his face matches the scowl on Carlisle's. I want to retaliate, but I've been grounded to my room for three nights already and I don't want to have to go there again.

"I said I'm sorry." I whimper and look down at my lap while picking at my nails. It makes me look more like a victim and makes Edward look more like a bully.

"Yeah, right." Edward scoffs.

"Do you want to go for a week, Edward?" Carlisle asks.

Edward doesn't answer. Instead, he let's out another huff and stomps up the stairs. I lift my head to see Carlisle and Esme exchanging annoyed looks.

"I did tell him I was sorry." I tell them.

"I know you did, sweetheart." Esme sighs.

"Leave him alone!" Rosalie yells from the second floor. I turn in my seat at the table to look at the steps.

"Tell him to leave my stuff alone!" Edward yells back to Rose.

There's a big thump, followed by some more screaming. Carlisle let's out a heavy groan.

"You're going to have to deal with that." He says to Esme. "I can't keep going up and down those stairs with this damn cast."

Esme doesn't say anything to him. She just leaves the room and heads upstairs. I can't hear what is being said now, but I'm sure no one is happy. Carlisle keeps searching for the salt. After a few moments, Esme comes back downstairs.

"What happened?" Carlisle asks her.

"Edward made a snide remark to Rosalie, and she shoved him against the wall." Esme explains. "I sent her to her room."

"These kids are going to be the death of me." Carlisle mumbles under his breath.

"It was about me, wasn't it?" I ask quietly. Esme sighs.

"Don't fret over it, sweetheart." She tells me.

Esme and Carlisle finally come to the table to eat. Esme made a big bowl of Greek pasta salad. I put a big scoop on my plate, but after a few bites I realize that this is not something I like. I don't want to add any more tension to the house, though, so I just push the bowtie noodles around on my plate and only eat a few bites every so often. No one says anything. I wish Emmett was home. He always seems to know how to eliminate tension.

It's been three days since I got caught stealing. I've been grounded to my room, but they have let Pongo in with me. Carlisle and Esme said they let him stay with me because I haven't given them any attitude about being grounded, but I'm sure it's because he has been driving them crazy. I've been working with him that whole time, though, and now he knows the commands for sit, roll over, lay down, and spin.

That seems to be the only benefit to this. Esme and Carlisle have been fighting. Edward is livid with me. Rosalie has been on edge, ready to defend me at all costs. Emmett is taking it the best. Everyone is being extra cautious around me. Edward has started locking his bedroom door. Everything from the batteries in the kitchen drawer to the toilet paper in the bathrooms had been carefully watched and counted. I've already been approached by Esme asking if I knew where the kitchen sponge was. Turns out, Carlisle threw it away and forgot to buy a replacement. Everything is being put on me, though. I'm sure I'll be searched for the salt shaker, too. They won't find it on me, though. I stashed it away in my bathroom drawer.

I had to give back the personal things that I took and apologize. Although Emmett probably doesn't understand why I took his coffee card instead of money from his wallet, he appreciated that I never took anything of true value and quickly accepted my apology. Edward, on the other hand, was not so understanding. When I gave him back his earbuds, he blew up on me. He yelled a lot, but I just ducked my head and tried not to listen. Carlisle and Esme were with us as I apologized, and Carlisle told Edward to speak calmer. He did lower his voice but his attitude and tone were enough to make it clear that he's disgusted with me. Esme finally made him stop the when he asked if I was some type of "klepto" or something.

"Once you're done eating, you need to get ready for the appointment." Carlisle breaks the silence at the table. "It's at two o'clock."

I nod. I really don't want to talk to Carlisle's therapist, but it's one of the conditions of my punishment.


"He has been diagnosed with selective mutism before he came to our home. My wife and I recently got him a dog after doing some research about emotional support animals. It has helped him open the doors of communication to the rest of the family, but he still doesn't say much. The stealing issue was discovered shortly after he came to live with us. He was caught stealing at the local pharmacy and when we confronted him, he apologized and when I asked if it would happen again, he responded with no." Carlisle explains to the therapist as calm as can be. I sit next to him on the couch with my arms crossed over my chest and staring down at my knees. For the past twenty minutes, Carlisle has been doing all the talking. "We recently had an officer out to the house because a mall employee saw Jasper concealing stollen goods. When asked about it, he provided an entire drawer full of items that he has stollen. The majority of the items were from stores, but he has taken things from our family."

"Is that true, Jasper?" Dr. Thomas asks.

I don't respond.

"You can talk to him, son." Carlisle tells me. He puts his hand on my knee.

Dr. Thomas isn't like Mr. Buckson. Dr. Thomas dresses more casually than Mr. Buckson in just a button down shirt and nice jeans. His office is painted light blue with dark colored hardwood floors. He has a black leather couch where Carlisle and I sit and a matching armchair across from us where he sits. He has pictures of flowers on the wall.

"Has there been stressors in the home?" Dr. Thomas asks.

"There has. I was working heavy hours and it was causing strain on the entire family. My oldest boy had issues with deciding whether to stay in our home or go live with his father. After that was settled, the car accident happened. My wife and I have been arguing lately, and my youngest is taking the realization that Jasper stole from him extremely hard." Carlisle admits.

"How does this stress effect you, Jasper?" Dr. Thomas continues to pry. I don't respond.

"He wasn't thrilled about coming." Carlisle sighs.

"Well Jasper," Dr. Thomas leans forward in his chair. "I would love to talk to you."

I lean back against the backrest and look to the right, away from both Carlisle and Dr. Thomas.

"What breed is your dog?" He asks. He waits a few seconds before continuing. "I have a black lab named Rusty. Why don't you bring your dog in with you for our next session?"

I glance over at Carlisle, who nods.

"We can do that." Carlisle agrees.

"Okay, great. Let's schedule it then."

Carlisle and Dr. Thomas toss a few different dates and times before settling on an appointment the day before Christmas Eve. Carlisle and I stand from the couch and Dr. Thomas reaches out to shake my hand. I don't want to take it, but Carlisle gives my side a little nudge with his elbow. I take his hand and give it a loose shake before dragging my feet to the door. Carlisle slowly follows in his crutches. We leave the room and walk down the brightly light hallways to the main door. We wait there for Emmett to come pick us up. Carlisle sends him a text to let him know we're done, then turns his attention to me.

"You need to open up and talk to Dr. Thomas, but you did alright for your first visit." He says. "This is something you need to be open to help for."

"You said I have to earn my privileges back. If I talk to him, will I get my cell phone back?" I ask in a quiet tone. Carlisle leans in closer.

"What did you say? I can't hear you."

"I have to earn my privileges. Does talking to him get my phone back?"

"Possibly. You need to do more than talk, though. It's more about making progress than just going through the motions."

I nod, and we wait in silence for a few more moments, until I finally decide to ask the question that has been burning in the back of my mind.

"Do I have any messages?" I question just as quietly.

"I don't know, buddy. I wouldn't violate your privacy by snooping around your cell phone. I do have a question for you, though." He says. "Do you know where the salt shaker went?"

I shrug and look at the ground.

"Jasper Lee, tell me the truth." He speaks firmly. "Do not lie to me. If you want to earn any of your privileges back, you will answer me honestly. Do you know where the salt shaker went?"

I sigh. He really isn't giving me any choice here. I want my phone back. I want to talk to my Dad.

"Yes." I murmur.

"Where is it?"

"My bathroom drawer."

"Damn it, Jasper." Carlisle huffs. "Have you taken anything else?"

I shake my head no, but he doesn't believe me.

"You better admit to it if you have, because your things are being searched when we get home."

I hold back a scoff. He might not snoop in my phone, but he has no problem going through my stuff or patting me down when something is missing.

My mind jolts to the photo albums. They're hidden under my bed. I pray that Carlisle doesn't find them.