Chapter 2 - The Envelope on the CounterThe next morning
Chapter 2 - The Envelope on the CounterThe next morning, Lily woke to the smell of burnt toast—a rare smell, because bread was a luxury. She tiptoed into the kitchen to find her mother sitting at the small wooden table, her face buried in her hands. Beside Clara lay a bright yellow envelope stamped with bold red lettering: FINAL NOTICE OF EVICTION. Lily didn't know how to read all the complicated legal words, but she knew what red ink meant. It meant tears. It meant packing their lives into black garbage bags in the middle of the night. Clara quickly wiped her cheeks, forcing a frail smile as she looked up. "Good morning, my sweet girl," Clara whispered, her voice cracking. "Eat up. We have a big day ahead."
