He stood beside her, looking at the untouched glass of water on her nightstand.
“Have you eaten anything?”
She smiled faintly.
“I’m not hungry, sweetheart.”
It was the same answer she had given him the night before.
And the night before that.
Adam knew she was lying.
Not because she wanted to deceive him, but because she loved him too much to admit how desperate their situation had become.
He touched her forehead.
It was warm.
“Mom, you need food. And you need medicine.”
“We’ll figure something out.”
But Adam had heard those words too many times.
For the first time in his young life, he was beginning to fear that love alone might not be enough to keep them alive.
He left the apartment carrying an empty backpack and a terrible feeling in his chest.
At school, he could barely concentrate. His classmates laughed, exchanged stories, and complained about homework while he stared through the classroom window.
