Chapter 2

2 Mom and I brought the last dish to the table.

Everyone else was already eating and chatting.

Aunt Sarah said, "Come on, sis, sit down! There's plenty of food!" without pausing in her task of piling chicken onto Ethan's plate.

There were always two chicken legs at New Year's dinner, and they were never for me.

One was for Ethan, the other for Grandma, the head of the family.

Mom and I sat at the corner of the table, closest to the stove.

Convenient for refilling bowls and serving more food.

Midway through dinner, Aunt Carol stood up.

She wanted to give Ethan a New Year's gift. She lived far away and hadn't been home for a few years.

Making a show of generosity, she handed Ethan a fifty-dollar bill.

Fifty dollars! I only saw that much money when Mom paid for my school books.

Ethan grinned as he took the money. I could only watch.

I was ten years old and had never received a New Year's gift from them.

I'd asked for one before, but Grandma had glared at me and said big kids didn't need gifts.

But I was only two years older than Ethan.

I picked at my rice, and Grandma rapped my knuckles with her chopsticks when I reached for a piece of braised pork.

Even though all the food on the table came from our house, I wasn't allowed to have any meat.

After scowling at me, Grandma pulled two crumpled twenty-dollar bills from a patched-up sock.

She gave one to Ethan.

The other went to Aunt Carol's unborn child, an "early" New Year's gift for her grandson, she said.

Nothing for me. I was used to it.

Mom always gave me five dollars, and that was enough.

Then Dad pulled out the envelope. He took out the crisp twenty-dollar bill.

I could still see Mom's fingerprints on it from the day before.

Dad told Ethan to wish him a Happy New Year.

Then he gave my hard-earned scholarship money, my first ever, to my cousin.

I stared at the twenty-dollar bill, tears welling up.

My chopsticks clattered to the floor.

Everyone looked at me. I only saw the money.

Numbly, I said, "That's my money. Give it back."

Dad frowned and gestured for Mom to restrain me.

Mom hugged me, promising me a big red envelope later.

"I don't want that! Give me my money back!"

Ethan quickly stuffed the money into his pocket, eyeing me warily.

Dad snapped, "Jenny Miller! Are you looking for trouble on New Year's Eve?"

Tears streamed down my face. I wiped them away with my sleeve.

I walked over to Ethan and tried to pull the money from his pocket.

He clutched it tightly, refusing to let go.

He started to wail, and Aunt Sarah, ever the peacemaker, said, "Ethan, honey, give it back to your cousin. Mommy will give you another one."

We tugged at the money, neither of us willing to yield.

Dad's face grew darker and darker, but I held on.

Then he slapped me across the face, sending me sprawling to the floor.

"You're the older one! Haven't you got everything you need? Fighting with your cousin on New Year's Eve!"

I was stunned. I stared up at him, seeing nothing but fury in his eyes.

Everything I needed? I'd never had anything!

I was ten years old, and he'd never given me a single New Year's gift.

But that twenty dollars… Ms. Jones gave it to me. It was mine.

I had wanted to use it to make Dad happy.

Now, all I wanted to tell him was, "Dad, if you don't want my love, please give it back."