went on as usual—or at least, it looked like it did
Jake argued over seconds, Sophie laughed at something that didn’t seem all that funny. But I wasn’t part of it in the same way.
I was watching.
Lily barely spoke. Noah kept glancing at her. Maya stopped talking entirely when I walked into the room.
“What?” I finally asked.
“Nothing,” Maya said quickly.
The room fell into a silence that didn’t belong in our home. And in that moment, I realized this wasn’t just about Lily—it involved all of them.
That unsettled me even more.
Later that night, I sat alone at the kitchen table with the box in front of me.
I thought back to being eighteen. Five children looking to me for stability. A future I had quietly set aside without complaint. Every decision, every sacrifice, every version of my life had been built around them.
I had always believed one thing without question: I had raised them right.
But now, holding that box in my hands, that certainty felt fragile.
I picked up the money again, studying it more closely. Small bills, neatly stacked. This wasn’t panic or desperation. This was careful saving.
Andrew let out a slow breath. “So… what now?”
“I’m done waiting.”
I called Lily into my room. She stepped in slowly, already nervous.
“I found something under your bed,” I said.
