Amy
I could only smile looking at the figures on the paycheck, it wasn’t a fortune, but, it felt like I’d just been handed a ticket out of suffocation. The numbers weren’t dazzling, but they were enough. Enough to cover rent without counting tips twice. Enough to keep Zim clothed, his school fees sorted, fed, maybe even get him the sneakers he kept eyeing every time we passed the store window.
I tucked the check into my bag like it was made of glass. I didn’t want to admit how good it felt to see a steady paycheck with my name on it. Not luck, not charity, hard earned cash.
I quickly walked to the cafeteria and picked lions and Zims lunch. I walked into Lion’s ward, Julie was there, perched at the foot of the bed like she lived there. She had that easy laugh of hers, and Lion, of course
