“Nailed it. She liked to give me sob stories about needingclothes for Elise or money for food, but it all went to gettingher high. I knew her tricks, and I cut her off. But I found waysto get Elise what she needed from time to time. Money sharingapps, giftcards, that sort of thing. But it couldn’t be anythingmy mom would notice—no clothes, no devices—or she’d shutit down. So mostly just some money for her to buy hot lunchat school and get basic necessities, the kind of stuff she couldplausibly pick up from a shelter or a free clinic somewhere.Deodorant, tampons, laundry soap.”
“Things were that bad? You had to send her money fortampons?”
Belle nods, but I can tell she’s ashamed. I have no idea whatshe has to be ashamed of—she isn’t the one who refu
