ADVERTISEMENT
“I… Sir…” she hesitated, then looked at the floor. “My mom works really hard, but sometimes we don’t have enough food to eat.”
Mr. Lewis had spent too many years working with kids to miss a half-truth when he heard one. Mia wasn’t exactly lying. But she wasn’t telling the whole story, either. That night, while talking to his wife, Audra, he made a decision.
Mr. Lewis sat at the dining table, but his mind wasn’t on the meal in front of him. He barely registered the scent of rosemary and butter from the roasted chicken, the soft clink of Audra’s fork against her plate.
Instead, his thoughts circled the same troubling image from earlier that day—Mia stuffing leftover food into her backpack. He hadn’t said much since they sat down, and Audra noticed. She always did.
“You’re quiet,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “Long day?”
“Yeah,” he sighed, rolling his shoulders.
Continue reading…
ADVERTISEMENT
