"Mom, we'll be good. Please bring her back, okay?"
Ethan held out his piggy bank.
"Mom, you can have all my savings. My New Year's money is in there too. Is this enough to get that lady to send her home?"
He looked up at Mom, eyes full of hope.
Dad sighed and turned to Mom.
"Maybe we should—"
He was about to suggest bringing me back. But Mom had finally gotten the two of them under control. She wasn't about to let this opportunity slip away.
She wanted to break them in properly.
"Ethan, here."
Mom pulled a hundred dollars from her purse and held it out.
He looked confused but took it anyway.
"Now that your sister's gone, we'll have fewer expenses around here. This hundred's for you to spend however you want—treat your friends to dinner, whatever you like."
Mom! How can you say that?!
Ethan might not have been affectionate with me, but he'd still slip me pocket money when no one was looking. He'd buy me little cakes.
I quickly turned to look at him.
Sure enough, the weight of guilt hit him so hard his legs gave out. He dropped to the floor.
He was only eleven. Faced with a mother like this, all he could do was scream and cry to make himself heard.