divergent-excerpt

me that something went wrong with one of the tests, so
the results had to be reported verbally.” My mother places
a napkin next to each plate on the table. “Apparently the
student got sick and was sent home early.” My mother
shrugs. “I hope they’re all right. Did you two hear about
that”
“No,” Caleb says. He smiles at my mother.
My brother couldn’t be Candor either.
We sit at the table. We always pass food to the right, and
no one eats until everyone is served. My father extends
his hands to my mother and my brother, and they extend
their hands to him and me, and my father gives thanks to
God for food and work and friends and family. Not every
Abnegation family is religious, but my father says we
should try not to see those differences because they will
only divide us. I am not sure what to make of that.
“So,” my mother says to my father. “Tell me.”
She takes my father’s hand and moves her thumb in
a small circle over his knuckles. I stare at their joined
hands. My parents love each other, but they rarely show
affection like this in front of us. They taught us that physical
contact is powerful, so I have been wary of it since I
was young.
“Tell me what’s bothering you,” she adds.
I stare at my plate. My mother’s acute senses sometimes
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