Sam squeezed her hand. “You don’t have to hide it. We’ll figure something out together.”
I nodded. “You’re not alone, Lizie. We’re in the same situation now.”
She hesitated, looking at her broken phone. “Should I call my dad? He’ll be mad.”
“Let me talk to him,” I said. “We just want to help.”
He called. We waited. I made coffee, Dan put away the dishes. My stomach was in knots.
The doorbell rang. Lizie’s father came in, exhaustion written all over his face. Oil stains on his jeans, deep bags under his eyes, but he tried to smile anyway.
“Thanks for feeding my daughter,” he said, shaking Dan’s hand. “My name is Paul. I apologize for the inconvenience.”I shook my head. “My name is Helena. It wasn’t a problem. But Lizie is carrying too much weight.”
She looked at the bills, clenching her jaw. “She shouldn’t have brought them here.” Then her face darkened. “I thought I could fix it… if I worked harder.”
“She brought it because she’s scared,” Dan said. “No child should carry it alone.”
Paul ran a hand through his hair. “After her mother died, I promised her I’d protect her. I didn’t want her to see me fail.”
“She needs more than promises,” Dan said. “She needs food, rest, and a chance to be a kid.”
He nodded, finally giving in.
“Now what?”
