“Oh, my baby girl, it was so good to see you.” Mom hugged me, pulling me close, and I let her hold me, inhaling the familiar scent of baking four and mixed spices. My mom kissed the top of my head and kept me at arm’s length to scope me out. “You’ve lost weight,” she said. “And you look so tired, honey. Why are you so tired?”
I opened my mouth to explain or to say anything and then closed it again because I’d concluded that I couldn't speak anymore without wanting to cry, too. Mom seemed to sense this because she pulled me back into her, shushing me.
“Let’s sit down,” she said. “And you can tell me all about it.”
The house was empty like it had been for a few days. Jami was in class, and Carly hadn’t come around. I’d basically been on my own, moping around the house, hiding from the hum
