The Billionaire Prize

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own B

th a living room. It had thin walls, but that was what she could afford. She was in front of her laptop, writing an email in response to the one she got from her high schoo

ying me," her nine-year-old, goin

and rubbing her temple. She was really tired, and being on the computer since made her watery. She had been loo

son said, nod

your teeth so that I can talk to you both

hem bedtime stories because it had become a sort of tradition. Sometime

to them, stories that made them see the world as a good place. That was what

bed, but she couldn't do that, not yet at least. She was still going to h

r themselves. To really make a point of that, she decided to lead by example, so she cleaned for two days, an

ou going to eat

he keyboard she was pressing. "Mama, aren't you going to eat? Now correct y

ng to eat?" She asked again,

ngry, so I'll just ski

out an exasperated sigh, the exp

t in the mood tonight. She had a lot going through her mind, like the "past due" envelopes she had in front of her on the work table i

g around, she realized a kitchen window was, and she stood up to walk to it, locking it. Maybe she could

e heard Ma

, looking at her fr

go visit Aunt Raina for

she walked to where they sat at the kitchen table, which also doubled as the dining table, and sat on her usual seat at the

. "With just us?" He asked. "What

weekend," she started, looking at their faces. "Remember that

time Mason said. "Grandma is dead, and we have no

o one there anymore, so that's what they were saying now. "Well, I do. I

side from Aunt Ra

to see them?

s, Mom, and Dad," she said, looking from

ably thinking about it, and then they nodded th

when you're back from school," she explained, hoping they didn't miss her too m

ul and take care of y

fely," Ma

lates to the sink and have them washed. It's almost your bedtime," she

," they bo

it. She closed the computer and started to put things back in order around the sitting room,

their teeth. She was almost done, so she could read them their bedtime stories and get into bed herself as soon

hem remember one better, and damn, she neede

from taking her kids to school and getting some groceries. She would also have to cook and sto

going on the trip back to Sandy Fall