hat unwavering belief in us, sent

, forgotten place

y mom struggling, my stepd

ily gauntlet of bullies wh

ake ap

time, but like a force o

ited, with a quick tempe

g me behind the blea

n't he

ts and fury, scatter

e and a busted li

uts with a wet paper towel fr

hat?" I' d asked

ided grin on his face. "

n, he was my de

metimes left, the hunger in my e

e local garage after school, his

show up at my door with a pizza,

dy, told me I was smart

, he believed in me e

I got the scholarship lett

is beat-up pickup truck, h

he summer aft

of his truck, watching the

vet box. The ring wasn't f

earnest, so full

' d said, his voice thick with

believ

that Jake with

with confused, eighteen-year-old

sed to symbolize the s