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Chapter 13 - TYLER STOPS EATING HOT DOGSChildren convert trauma into strange rules.

Tyler stopped eating hot dogs.

Not because he disliked them.

Because Olivia had been struck over one.

At a school barbecue, he refused lunch.

His teacher called.

That night I asked:

“Are hot dogs scary now?”

He shrugged.

“No.”

“Then?”

“If I didn’t have one, Grandma wouldn’t have hit Olivia.”

Back to the beginning.

I pulled two frozen waffles from the freezer.

“See these?”

“Yes.”

“If I throw one at the wall, whose choice is that?”

“Yours.”

“Would it be your fault because you like waffles?”

“No.”

“Same rule.”

May you like

He looked unconvinced.

Therapy did better than waffles.

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