For weeks, she had tried to protect him by hiding the seriousness of their hardship.
In doing so, she had unintentionally left him believing he had to solve everything by himself.
“I love you,” she whispered.
“I love you too.”
“And I want you to promise me something.”
“Anything.”
“Never believe that your worth depends on how much money you have.”
Adam nodded.
“People may judge your clothes, your home, or your circumstances. But none of those things determine the kind of person you can become.”
That evening, Elizabeth Carter arrived with information about medical care and community assistance.
Over the following weeks, Adam’s mother began receiving treatment.
Her recovery was slow.
Some days she could sit at the kitchen table.
Other days she could barely leave her bed.
But there was food in the refrigerator.
The rent was temporarily stabilized through an assistance program.
And for the first time in a long while, Adam no longer went to sleep fearing what might happen the next morning.
