That surprised her.
People like my family never thought of me as fragile.
Responsible people were not allowed to be fragile.
We were shelves.
We were supposed to hold.
“I have exams,” I said. “Clinical hours. A job. Rent that is only free because Mr. Gideon is kind, not because I’m entitled to his house. If I let everyone move in here, I could lose the one stable thing I have.”
Elowen looked toward the sleeping kids.
“So what are we supposed to do?”
It was an honest question.
For once.
“I don’t know,” I said. “But I know what I’m not going to do.”
Her eyes hardened a little.
“You’re not going to help.”
“I’m not going to pay your rent.”
“That’s the same thing.”
“No,” I said quietly. “It is not.”
She leaned back like I had slapped her.
And maybe to her, I had.
