CHAPTER 38
Lila couldn't contain the little bounce in her step as she ran down the cracked sidewalk to her family's modest duplex home. Despite the lingering knot of dread in her gut about the Wilkins Group Thunderdome, she felt a sense of hope she hadn't had in years.
This was her one chance to finally overcome the mediocrity and stagnation that had plagued her life for so long. She does this not just for herself, but also for her father. If she could just secure this prestigious Willhaven scholarship and receive access to their world-class speech therapy tools, it could be the breakthrough they've been waiting for.
Her pulse raced a bit faster as she imagined her father's warm, careworn face beaming with delight rather than the continual undercurrent of sorrowful resignation that he c
