First, he canceled his birthday party and asked my aunt to contact the amusement center a few towns over to refund my original deposit. Then, he called my assistant, Ariel—a number I gave him for emergencies only—and requested our family trip to be postponed until further notice. According to my aunt, he called Ellie too, but she didn’t answer. People say we shouldn’t negotiate with terrorists, but what happens when the one causing terror is my eight-year-old son?
