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The sour scent of urine hits h, already defeated before the day has even begun My sister’s death hangs like a dark cloud over us all

I wake up Lucas first He grunts and moans crankily as I try to pry hiht that sood combination

“You and me both, buddy,” I say, as he finally rolls over and opens his tear puffed eyes

“Isho loss through the fissures in my heart

“No, sweetie I need you to get dressed and ready for school, please” He stuh the drawers for clothes

Liaet out of his soiled pajaet cleaned up Then, I need to strip the wet bedding and get it into the washing machine before it turns rancid

We’re down to a few precious et into the kitchen to fix the it difficult to get a good routine in place Not for the first time, I wonder how my sister did it

I’ shift this et fired, and then ill I do? We have to figure so to our new life together any better than I am

When the boys are finally dressed and fed, we hurry from the apartment I open the back door tosure they’re both buckled tight in their booster seats, I slam the door and climb in front

“Can we go to the park after school?” Liam asks

He’s constantly asking to go to the park I know he misses his friends and needs some kind of outlet besides school and hborhood isn’t safe to be out in The crieous, and I can’t afford to move us somewhere safer

It was fine when it was just me, but now that I’m responsible for their lives, I’aze in the rear-view mirror

“I’m sorry, buddy It’s just not safe You’ll have fun on the playground at school”

His face falls and I can see the sheen of tears in his eyes I need to find a safe place for us to go, so they can have some fun playtime, but I can never seem to find the opportunity

Between the job at the diner and reading to the children at the bookstore, there’s no ticare of Liam and Lucas, which I’m pretty sure is one hundred full time jobs rolled into one