“Eighty-nine dollars for one chemistry book,” Ethan said, with a wet, shaky laugh. “That’s insane.”
He dug into the pocket of his khaki shorts and pulled out a piece of notebook paper folded into a tight square. His hand shook when he passed it to me.
“We wrote you something.”
Across the top, in Noah’s slanted handwriting, were the words To the best mom in the world.
I unfolded it carefully.
Dear Mom, We know you’ve worked hard for us since we were babies. We know you missed our birthdays sometimes because of the diner, and we remember you coming home tired and still making dinner. We found your college letter. We didn’t know you were so close to doing what you wanted, and we’re sorry you had to give it up. You always say we’re the best things that ever happened to you. But we want good things to happen to you too. We love you. Noah and Ethan.
