Chapter 3

The moment Tina started crying, Deborah rushed over and stepped between us. "Justin, why are you yelling at a child?"

Kevin came over and pulled Tina into his arms, his tone offhand. "Justin, it's just a photo. Do you really need to make such a big deal out of it?"

I stared at the family photo in my hand. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't wipe the marker off. My hands shook with anger.

"Just a photo?"

Kevin rolled his eyes. "Yeah. That's all it is."

I stood up, gripping the photo, my voice shaking uncontrollably. "My dad's gone. This is the last photo we ever took as a family."

The room fell silent, but only for a moment.

Ella came up behind me, glanced at Tina sobbing, then at the photo in my hand, and sighed.

"Enough already. The photo's ruined, and getting angry isn't going to fix it. Tina didn't do it on purpose. We're family. Stuff like this happens when you live together. Do you have to turn everything into a huge fight before you're satisfied?"

Family?

In their eyes, they were the only ones who counted as family. Mom was an outsider, and so was I.

Before I could say anything, my phone buzzed with a message from Mom.

"Justin, I'm already on the bus home. Take care of yourself, okay? And don't fight with Ella because of me."

I stared at the screen, my eyes stinging.

I didn't have it in me to argue with them anymore. All I wanted was to go home, see Mom, and spend Thanksgiving with her.

Deborah was still going on. "You're crying over a photo? Seriously? You're being dramatic!"

"Mom, enough," Ella said.

"Why should I? Ever since his mother got here, it's been one thing after another..."

I didn't say another word. I tucked the photo away, left the condo, and headed for the bus terminal.

Most of the lights in the waiting area were already off, and the last bus was long gone. Mom was probably home by now. I wouldn't be spending Thanksgiving with her after all.

I sighed, then spotted a familiar figure in the corner.

It was Mom.

She was asleep against the wall with a large woven bag at her feet. She held her faded jacket to her chest, a bus ticket still in one hand.

I leaned closer to read the ticket in her hand. It was for the 6:20 am bus to Larkwyn the next morning, and it had cost just 43 dollars.

Then it hit me. The last bus that night had cost 123 dollars. Mom was going to spend the entire night at the bus terminal just to save 80 dollars.

I crouched beside her, my throat tightening painfully.

"Mom..." I whispered.

She jolted awake and froze when she saw me. "Justin? What are you doing here?"

I struggled to keep my voice steady. "I thought you said you were already on the bus."

Her smile faltered.

She looked down and said softly, I... I just wanted to save a little money. Tonight's bus was 123 dollars, but tomorrow morning's is only 43. It's just one night at the terminal, and I'll save 80 dollars. That's worth it, isn't it?"

Mom was willing to spend the night at a bus terminal just to save 80 dollars. Yet she hadn't thought twice about spending 800,000 dollars on a condo for me.

I stayed crouched beside her and really looked at her. Dirt smudged her face, her hair was tousled by the wind, and mud from the flower bed stained her clothes.