Her voice is so scratchy it pains me to hear her talk. “Don’t strain your throat, Mom. We’ll talk later.”
“I’ve been figuring a way out for months,” she admits. “Opening up a separate account; stashing as much of my paychecks as I can into it. But if I’d known about you, I would have tried to move even faster.”
* * *
When we arrive at the high school, Nick and Ben are waiting.
“This feels like an illegal drug deal,” Ben mutters as we toss their things into the car. “You going to tell us what the fuck happened?”
“Mom needs to see a doctor,” I tell him. “But she won’t.”
“We can take her to a clinic in one of the neighboring towns,” he says. “But where the hell are we going from there?”
“I don’t know,” I say honestly, and my breath gets shorter. “Mom said she has a place picked out.”
He says something in response, but I’m starting to lose focus on his words.
“Are you okay?” he asks me.
I manage a nod.
“You’re gasping for breath,” he says with concern. “What’s wrong?”
I push him toward the car. “Let’s just get going.”
Nick insists on driving. He has Mom settle into the shotgun seat, and Ben and I take the back.
“Sky’s having a panic attack,” Ben announces to the car.
Nick and Mom immediately turn around.
“It’s just something that…” I suck in air. “Happens sometimes.”
“We’ll get you some help,” Mom promises.
But as we merge onto the highway, my anxiety lessens. My pulse is normal, and I can take a normal breath again.
A few towns over, we stop at a twenty-four hour health clinic. Nick takes Mom inside, and Ben and I sit in the car.
“Scared?” he asks me, his blond hair shining in the moonlight.
My brothers are both blond like Mom; I’m the only one who looks like my father.
I shrug. “Less so than I was in the house.”
“Me too.”
Mom and Nick return after a long while, and Mom’s got a bandage on her throat. She says she’ll be okay.
She makes a call to Ivan, the detective in town.
He promises to keep her updated on our father.
We keep driving, and eventually, I fall asleep.
When I wake up, we’re pulling into a gated complex. We pass rows upon rows of attached townhouse condos.
“Where are we?” I ask.
