internally.
According to my plan, Tuesday night I would have rice with a package of chicken thighs, carrots, and half an onion. As I chopped the ingredients, I was already calculating the leftovers for lunch and deciding which bill could wait another week.
Dan came in from the garage, his hands rough and his face lined.
“Dinner soon, honey?” He dropped the keys into the bowl.“Ten minutes,” I said, still doing the math.
There would be three courses, and maybe something for lunch tomorrow.
He glanced at the clock, frowning. “Did Sam finish his homework?”
“I didn’t check. She’s been quiet, so I guess algebra is winning.”
“Or TikTok,” he said with a smile.
I was about to call everyone to the table when Sam burst into the room, followed by a girl I’d never seen before. The girl had her hair tied in a messy ponytail, and the sleeves of her sweatshirt reached past her fingertips, despite the late-spring heat.
Sam didn’t wait for me to speak. “Mom, Lizie is eating with us.”
