Chapter 2

2

Saturday morning, back at the old house. My mom threw a bag of my old clothes at my feet.

"Take them. This is all you're worth anyway." She pushed the front door open wide.

"Ruby's family is coming over. They'll think we're poor if they see you here in those rags. Move your stuff out today. If you learn how to be a good sister after the wedding, maybe we'll let you come back."

My old clothes spilled across the porch. I saw a jacket I wore in high school. The elbows were worn thin and patched three times with my own messy stitching.

I was seventeen when I wore that, working until 1 AM every night after school. I folded the clothes carefully and put them in my bag.

"If you don't take care of your brother, who's going to take care of you when you're old?" Mom sneered. "Other sisters are a hundred times better than you."

It started raining as I reached the end of the block. I didn't cry. I didn't look back.

The rain hit the pavement with a steady rhythm. I stepped into a puddle, soaking my shoes, but I walked faster than I had in twenty years.

My phone lit up with a text from a coworker. "Your brother just posted on Facebook. He's calling someone a 'worthless loser' for not supporting his family. Is he talking about you?"

I didn't check social media. I turned off my phone and walked toward the train station.