tter from MIT was already in hand, a full-ride schol

by with grades that might get her into a

to taste. One night, Debra and Andrew sat me

dripping with fake sincerity. "W

la's," An

e were thinking... maybe you could put your college plans on hold for a few years. Get a good j

d agreed. I had given

t the crumpled, faded $20 bill Andrew had given me all those yea

"is the sum total of your financial sup

silence, defeated by th

rse. You've been so independent. We're proud of you. Let me cook you a

ve. I overslept by six hours, missed the exam, and lost my scholarship. S

d chicken, mashed potatoes, everything I used to love. The family dog, a pam

Debra urged. "You n

he entire plate, walked over to the dog's b

evoured it

rted to whine. Then it whimpered, stumbled, and

, her hands flying to

as ice. "This is the second tim

d "accidentally" left me, a toddler, at a bus station, only for a

ce wen

alked to the front door and left their house for the last time. I didn't look back. The sound