It made innocent people feel guilty for needing shelter.
Her mother started to push off the couch.
“I’ll talk to him.”
“No.”
“Lauren—”
“No.” She stood up too fast. “You are not standing on that porch begging that man for mercy.”
“I wasn’t going to beg.”
“You shouldn’t have to explain yourself either.”
Denise’s mouth tightened.
Then she leaned back slowly, exhausted by the effort.
Lauren went to the sink and ran water she did not need, just to have something moving in the room.
Then she turned it off.
The silence came back.
She made scrambled eggs with the last four eggs and stretched the leftover rice into something that almost felt like dinner.
Her mother ate half.
Lauren took a few bites and said she wasn’t hungry.
That was a lie too.
One more for the day.
After dishes, Denise drifted back to sleep.
