Chapter 86: Chapter 86 : Living Conditions

When my mom got back from the hospital, I tearfully told her what happened while we packed our things. She didn’t need any more stress. She wouldn’t talk to me about Bethany or my father, and that told me just how upset she really was.

I was trying to put on a brave face for Ken because I didn’t want him to worry.

Ellis called for a car to come pick us up. I rode in the back with Ken.

“Mommy, are we homeless?” he asked, tugging at my sleeve.

“Um…” I caught Ellis’s eyes in the rearview mirror.

“I don’t want to be homeless. I don’t want to live in a box and give away all my toys,” he whined.

“It won’t come to that,” I assured. I hugged him against me and held Ellis’s eyes.

He’d promised that my family wouldn’t suffer and I believed him. But we didn’t exactly own our own place anymore. Staying with Ellis wasn’t the same as having a home of our own.

“I promise, Ken, you won’t have to get rid of any of your toys,” Ellis promised.