side the red-brick apart
led twenty-dollar bill and ste
step groaned under her weight, a fami
her pocket and unlocked
e cheap, second-hand sofa and the wobbly coffee table
the wall. It was the two of them at
e in her
droom and dragged a battered bl
suitcase open
he TV. She didn't
cheap work suits and
ing silver necklace Kasen had given her for their ann
itcase shut, the pho
h Kasen's name, accomp
creen. Her eyes were
g her tight lungs. She swiped the scre
er. It was thick with fake exhaustion and gentle co
fingernails i
asked. She forced her
n lied effortlessly. "Helping a buddy set
king of ice against crystal glass. She heard Lex
ic shred of hope i
She looked at the peeli
ice flat and devoid of an
r end, only an audible, patronizing sig
n's voice was laced with weary annoyance. "Come on, Ka
he didn't cry. She
tely blocke
it off the bed. She looked around the tiny, path
ay. She unclipped the br
ooden shoe cabinet. The metal clatt
r and walked out. S
oklyn night. The rain instantly soake
down the cracked sidewalk
her thin coat. She shivered
ty-two dollars in h
me. She had n
rom sleeping on the streets
in drowned out her heavy exhale. She s
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