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5. Cadence

Icame awake with a jolt, the sun glaring through my window once again. I could tell it was later than usual by the angle of it, and I let out a groan as I ran a hand down my face.

I didn’t have to be at the diner until four, but I needed to figure out what to do about the car. It would have to be towed to a mechanic, and I winced at how much it was going to cost. It was going to put us behind again.

Sighing, I got up and pulled on some clothes. My brain chasing itself in circles had kept me up for hours after Leo left, and I was too tired to want to deal with anything. The fact that school was out and my brother wouldn’t need the car in the morning made me want to ignore the issues for another day, but I couldn’t risk it getting towed by the city.

Making my way downstairs, I could hear Momma muttering to herself before I even reached the kitchen. She only muttered on bad days, so I braced myself before stepping through the doorway.

“Hello, Momma. Sleep well?”

Her brows pulled together as she looked at me, lips moving in silence until she shook her head.

“Sleep? It’s not time for bed yet. I still have to do these dishes and give your brother a bath.”

She turned back to the sink, taking dishes from the rack to wash and put them back. She didn’t notice she washed the same glass four times before moving on to a plate.

I swallowed the lump in my throat as I pulled out the cereal. Momma glanced back at me, tutting as I filled the bowl.

“You should have eaten more of your dinner. Sugar before bed isn’t good for you.”

I gave her a shaky smile as I nodded. She returned to her task as I sat and ate, humming an old tune under her breath until Michael came into the kitchen.

“Charles, I’m still not done with the dishes, could you give Michael a bath for me please? I don’t want him up too late.”

My brother barely missed a step, walking over to peck Momma on the cheek.

“Sure, I’ll take care of it.”

The fact that it was so normal that neither of us flinched made my throat close around the food I was trying to swallow. The episodes were increasing, though there were few truly bad days. The new medicine helped her stay calm and relaxed, but the cost of it was another source of stress. I hated having to choose between her medicines and food.

My mind jumped back to Leo, but I forced myself to shove the thoughts away. We weren’t that desperate anymore, and I was determined not to put myself in debt to him. What I had already done made us even, and I wanted to keep it that way.

Focusing on Michael as he took a seat beside me, I couldn’t help noticing why Momma was beginning to mistake him for our father. At seventeen, he looked exactly the way I’d picture Daddy at that age. There were a few hints of Momma in the shape of his nose and how wavy his hair was if he let it grow out, but otherwise he resembled the pictures in the hall.

It was hard to imagine my brother only had one more year of school before he’d be ready to go off to college. I knew he was struggling with the guilt of leaving me to take care of Momma, but I’d already told him I expected him to start looking for where he wanted to go. There was no reason for him to sacrifice any chance he had at a future to stay and help. I wanted him to have more.

I pulled my thoughts back to the present.

“The car broke down on me on the way home last night. I had to leave it on the side of Old Miller Road, so I’m going to have to call a tow truck and have it taken to a shop. I’ll take the bus to work and ask to pick up some extra shifts at the diner to make up what it’s going to cost.”

I kept my voice low, hoping Momma wouldn’t hear me. Michael’s brows drew together as he glanced toward the front of the house before responding.

“What do you mean? I saw the car sitting outside.”

Frowning, I shook my head.

“No, you must be thinking of a different day.”

He pointed to the front window.

“Go look. It’s sitting where you always leave it.”

My heart rate picked up as I stood. There was no way the car was in the driveway. The wet clothes in my room let me know I hadn’t dreamed that it broke down and Leo showed up.

But sure enough, when I pushed the curtain out of the way I could see the back end of the car sitting in its usual spot. Storming to the door, I threw it open and walked out, pausing on the porch to stare.

Not only was my old Toyota sitting there, it was clean. Sparkling clean, like it hadn’t been in years. When I made my way over and glanced inside, the interior was just as spotless as the rest of the vehicle.

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