She tries to pull her hand away, but I squeeze even tighter. “How many times have you made that promise to yourself? How many times have you sworn you’d get out of bed and make breakfast? That you’d be there for them the way you know they deserve?”
Her chin dimples as she tries not to dissolve into tears again. “A lot.”
“I know.” I pat her hand. “And since you can’t keep that promise, you have to do what’s right for them.”
Her eyes widen again. “You’re going to take them?”
I shake my head. “No. I’m not going to take them. I won’t have to. You’re going to give them up. Because you know it’s the right thing to do.”
She stares down at the nest of dirty blankets around her. “How…how did things get this bad?”
“Because life is hard. Right now, you need to focus on getting out of this bed a
