Chapter 21
ANIKA CALLED IN SICK FOR WORK on Saturday. She texted Carlos that she wouldn’t be going to the dance or church with him over the weekend. Then she ignored his texts and calls. She holed up in her apartment glaring at the presents every time she walked by.
On Monday she returned to work, swallowing back the tears she wanted to cry when she approached the Hope Tree. She had almost walked past before she noticed that every branch was bare. No tags with sizes and ages hung from the branches. “Jessica, what happened to the Hope Tree?”
“Some woman came in and took every tag that was left and bought stuff from our store to give to them.” Jessica polished off the mahogany counter. “You know, she didn’t look like she even had that kind of money. Like someone who’d never shopped at our
