Chapter Twenty-Three
“Holt, Holt…wake up!”
I open my eyes, fully expecting to find my mother in long braids, wellie boots, and pajamas, her blue eyes excited for a raccoon hunt.
But instead, I see Sylvie, her brown eyes looking excited above a plate of pancakes.
“What’s this?” I ask, shaking off the sleep and the joint I smoked on the balcony in the middle of the night while Sylvie slept. She never says anything, but I know she doesn’t like it. So like cursing, it’s something I try to only do when she’s asleep or not at home.
“Happy Birthday!” she says, holding out the plate.
“Uh, thanks babe…” I say, narrowing my eyes suspiciously at the plate’s contents. The three circles look like pancakes but smell like bananas.
“Banana fritters,” she explains off my questioning look. “This is w
