BETSY

eality. Her mother had just offered her a seat at breakfast, something she would never dream of-a gestur

oin us," Mark chimed i

miliar faces around the table were beaming with an unusual warmth. Sam, their faraway neighbor, and close friend sat at the far

m added, sipping f

reeted his daughter, a hin

nating? She pinched herself, hard enough to get h

sharp sting on her skin was real, and so was everything else around her. The liv

answers. Her mom, her dad, and even Mark were watching her closely as if

where reality and fantasy blurred together.

, her gaze lingering more intently on her moth

ast night-seeing her irksome face

just thirteen, her mother had invited Mr. Banks over for lunch. He had n

said she needed to see Mrs Nick, while she'd been left, s

ottle as anticipated, he grasped her wrist with surprising strength, pulling her toward the old, faded

ck, screaming for her mother-her voice ringing

m the floor and swung it, hitting Mr. Banks squarely on th

ed in, locking the door behind her, a wh

her voice trembling as she knelt by Mr. Ban

is face contorted in

hat have you done?" Her mother's voice rose in fury, "He was trying to

ted, confusion and tears

that one line revealing an unde

way with the money given to you by a man who..." T

a whirlwind of betrayal. Sure, her mother had suffered plent

could never

e wall between herself and her mother-a

educed to the shallow rhythms of dail

ces with her mother felt lik

spite the threat he had

dow over their household. Yet, her mother soothed him,

r her father. It felt like choosing between drowni

ng political battles in the council or chasing after women

e long, scandalous soap opera-sneaking around with men who

reckless audacity of a magician performing tricks

could live under the same roof and

ns were scarce, buried beneath layers of resentment, and eve

on-whenever her father staggered in late that puzzled Bett the mos

knew exactly what kind of fury that would unleash, and she ha

rough a minefield, every step laced with the

s, despite knowing her parents were beyond saving, a small p

a plan. Every coin she saved was a step closer to freedom-a train

oklyn, then onto the glimmering promise of Manhattan. Each da