pte

ra

briskly toward the door, fumble hastily with my

are shaking. I take a few deep breaths to calm mys

mp from the shock. I'm still hig

s hitting the tiled floor echoes throughout the lobby. She

she sees that it's me on the couch

smile disappears when she realizes how

e too well to buy that. Or maybe

ry? Is he okay?" She takes a seat on the couch acro

a little paranoid. Just the mention of something bad happening to He

atherine lightly rub

anymore. I've been fighting this alone, on my own, for too

ere," Catherine says. "It

elligible. The world around me has become a bl

you can tell me a

ook like shit right now. I bet my face is all red and blotchy. I catch my breath

herine everything.

She knows why I have to adopt Henry, m

men, and she shouldn't have had children. Her boyfriends always drin

ng habit. For as long as I can remember, Mom alway

's house, and I was shocked to see her mom prepare an

enry table. She often runs out of money to pay the bills. She can't even

k, and I've worked hard

andom times, asking for money to pay the bills, because, as she'd say, "T

w Mom would be happy to get him off her hands, s

gh. And this is the part I haven't tol

m fought me when I tried

ea

paying her. She said she was going to repo

h!" Cather

to avoid taking the legal route because eve

ht? You know she's a money-sucking vampire who won'

seemed like a good idea a

ld've been ch

l I turned twenty-one a few months ago. As soon as that happened, though, I hired a lawy

om and a lawyer? How

tears continue streaming down my face. "An

was

. My mom kept asking for more and more money,

tell me? I could

ough. You covered my portion of

ble, I would've gone out less, maybe take a bagged lunch

therine . And I'll make

money, but damn. I earn about the same amount as you do and I don't have an

did

dn't do

ve, Catherine . Plus, by the time I got a lawyer

m the bank, right? Or

but that still wa

ine gives me a grave look. She kno

I say quickly in one breath before I can

uc

h. F

h do you

ld have it all paid off in no time," I say. I'm lying again, but what ca

tudies me with her brown eyes. She sighs, knowing she

kay? I'll do anything to help you,"

elf to smile so Cat

and turning in my

an't solve my problems. I still have a huge, debilitating debt,

though, was make it painfully

he risk of failing to satisfy Felix Joe anywa

mithFoster, I'd pick th

shining armor, but he's obvi

one I'm actually attracted to, in

to either one of those two anyw

cards right, I can get enough money to put Henry through college. That w

s just a thin membrane in my vagina. It's just sex. I need to be practical

I pick up the trash can by the desk and take it outside, car

m up. The last thing I need right now is more

trash. The whole apartment is quiet, except for the sound o

ve I'm actual

s business card. For once, I'm gl

ar, the craziest thing I'll ever do. Not even Catherine would go for

ype a message. I stare at the letters until my e

f my life, but I can't tell right now if I'll re

this

dy to n

the Send