“I did.”He rubbed his belly, shifting his T-shirt and revealing a few needle marks.
Tiny scowled.He’s using again.His arms were clear, and like an idiot, he thought he could hide his addiction.She studied her parents.Do they know?
Mom dished up on Dad’s plate first, then for Jamie, herself, and Tiny… In that order.Tiny’s portion was the smallest but, under the circumstances, something to be grateful for.
“How’s school?”Dad asked as he’d been doing since she’d started at kindergarten.
“Good.”Because she’d earned the scholarship and self-funded her lifestyle, they knew nothing and had no say about her grades or daily life.And once she graduated and headed off to residency, she never needed to see them again.
Tears stung her eyes.She’d miss her dad.Guilt twinged with guilt at abandoning him, forcing him to deal with Jamie’s downward spiraling alone.But she couldn’t live Dad’s life for him.
“What are you up to these days, Jamie?”she asked, taking a tiny bite of the mashed brown clumps on her plate.The flavor of scorched cauliflower coated her tongue.She sipped her juice while staring at her brother, expectant.
“He’s considering a local art school,” Mom said, grinning.
“Oh?”Tiny forced a smile.“I didn’t know you could draw.”
He dropped his fork on his half-eaten meatloaf and jumped to his feet.“Let me get my portfolio.”
She almost mouthed ‘portfolio’ but managed to rein in her wayward lips.
He returned carrying a sketchpad with actual paper.When he shoved it at her, he waited, his expression showing his eagerness for her feedback.She took a moment to savor the smoothness of the paper, swiping her thumb back and forth.Then with a deep breath, she focused on his sketches.She sniffed, picking up a hint of sweed—distilled seaweed.
They were done with ink.Thank the Lord.Charcoal cost a fortune.
Her gaze followed the vibrant strokes.The images were recognizable, from faces to metal trees, still life to landscapes.Potential was there.“Jamie… Wow.I didn’t know.”He could make it a career if he was serious.If he pursued this.If it wasn’t yet another phase.
He puffed out his chest and cradled his sketchbook.“Mom and Dad think I stand a good chance of being accepted.”He sank into his seat and placed the book on the table beside him.“Not all of us are smart enough to become doctors.”
She gritted her teeth.Every meal with her family resorted to this: that she dared dream of doing something meaningful with her life.She’d been twelve when she revealed her dream to a favorite teacher.Which had, in turn, reached her parents.Dad had praised her.Mom had scoffed, solidifying Tiny’s determination to succeed.
“This meatloaf’s amazing, Mom,” Jamie crooned.
Dad’s was half-eaten; Tiny hadn’t had more than two mouthfuls.Mom, too.
Tiny drained her juice and rose.“Thank you for dinner.”
“You just got here,” Dad said, disappointment in his eyes.
“Sorry, Dad, studies come first.”With a kiss to his temple, she bolted for the door before anyone could say anything more.
“I’ll walk you down,” Jamie said, close on her heels.
She sighed, waited for the door to shut, then faced him.“How much?”
He leaned against the wall, folding his arms and crossing his legs at the ankles.“About a hundred should do it.”
She laughed.“Forget it.What I have I need.”
“Come on, Sis, for me.”He cupped her shoulders, giving them a squeeze while flashing his most charming smile.It had stopped working on her a decade ago.
“I wasted tokens on a taxi to get here, so no, no, no.”She stomped off.“Find some other way to fund your addictions or grow up and get a job.”
He didn’t follow her, for once not nagging her all the way down to the lobby and pleading while she waited for another taxi until she finally shut the vehicle’s door on his pouting.She sagged against the seat, twitched her toes in her too-tight boots, and gazed ahead.Only a windscreen with a smooth dash filled her vision while the autodrive shot along the roads to her dorm.
Alone, at last, she planned the rest of her evening.Some much-needed confectionery would be a good start.
Chapter Three
