At the family BBQ, I froze when I saw my son’s toys melting in the fire pit. My brother was laughing. “He needs to toughen up,” he said, tossing another one in. I didn’t yell. I just grabbed my little boy, held him close, and walked away without a word. The next morning, my dad showed up at my door, panic in his eyes. “Please,” he said, voice shaking, “you have to help your brother — he’s about to lose his job.” I smiled. “Oh, I know,” I said softly. “That was the plan.”