Chapter 11
After the Acosta family went bankrupt, Linda, once obedient and sweet, had changed. At first, she still tried to be considerate–asking for new clothes or shoes only every few months.
But over time, her vanity grew,
whatever she could from whand so did her demands. She began taking
little the family had left.
Her desire for more became insatiable. When the family couldn’t keep up with her ever–growing expectations, she turned on them–throwing tantrums, shouting at their parents, even raising a hand to Rhoda once.
Over the past two years, Chris had borne the brunt of Linda’s resentment. The guilt of not being able to give Linda everything she wanted had taken root, and “I’m sorry” had become almost second nature.
Keith took a moment to collect himself before lifting his head, his usual warm smile returning. “Since you’ve got a shot at staying at Ordstead Middle School, we’ll absolutely support your decision. Ordstead isn’t far from Yredo Middle School anyway–after school, I’ll come pick you up and we can head home together.”
“Okay,” Dora nodded.
After dinner, Keith took the dishes to the kitchen to wash, while Dora stayed behind to draw with Dewey. She told Chris to go take a bath and get some rest.
In the boys‘ room, Dewey sat at the desk, focused on his drawing.
Dora sat on Keith’s bed, flipping through the sketchbooks Dewey had filled. There was something pure and uninhibited about children’s drawings–no technical skill, just imagination running wild.
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Flying cars, bird–human hybrids, sparrows tucked inside flower petals. his creativity was delightfully unrestrained.
As she turned page after page, she noticed that while the drawings were rough. his use of color was bold and striking. The watercolor strokes clashed in vivid, unpredictable ways, yet somehow the overall composition still felt balanced and intentional.
This kid. might actually have some talent,‘ she thought.
She closed the sketchbook and returned it to the shelf, then reached over to pat his head. “Dewey, go to bed early tonight. Tomorrow, I’ll take you out to do some sketching–sound good?”
Dewey blinked at her. “Why do we have to go outside to draw?”
Dora thought for a moment. “I’ve got a friend who owns an art studio. He has more than a hundred kinds of paint. Want to go check it out?”
His eyes lit up like Christmas lights. He nodded so fast it made her laugh. “Yes! Can I really use them?”
“Of course. If I ask, he’ll say yes,” she said with a grin. Then she added. “But, you’ll have to draw something for me. A gift.”
“Deal!”
Experts said kids needed lots of sleep while they were growing, so Chris had never minded Dewey sleeping in during school breaks.
That was why when she saw him wide awake and fully dressed at seven in the morning, looking like he’d just downed an energy drink, she nearly panicked. ‘Is he sick? Why is he so hyper? she thought.
“Mom! Dora is taking me to an art studio today!” he said excitedly.
“That’s great, but you didn’t need to get up this early,” Chris replied,
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placing a hand on his forehead just in case. Only after confirming he didn’t have a fever did she breathe a sigh of relief.
Just then. Dora came out of her room with her backpack slung over one shoulder. She headed into the kitchen, poured herself a glass of water. downed it in one go, and said, “Mom, I’m taking Dewey to my friend’s place. It’s kind of a long drive, so we’re leaving early. Don’t worry about. breakfast–we’ll grab something on the way.”
Chris could tell Dora was on a tight schedule and quickly nodded. “Okay, I’ll go get changed.”
“Where’s Keith?” Dora asked.
“He’s changing too!” Dewey replied.
Alberto had already left around six to take on an early job.
Once Chris and Keith were ready, the four of them headed to a breakfast shop near the market and grabbed a quick meal.
When it came time to pay, Keith instinctively pulled out his card. Doral didn’t argue. With Chris and Keith there, it didn’t feel like the right moment to insist. Besides, it was just a small amount–nothing worth making a fuss over.
“Hey, my friend’s giving us a ride. He can drop you off at your part–time gig too,” Dora said to Keith. She’d already called Byron the night before to ask if she could borrow his driver.
The car was already waiting at the same corner where she’d gotten out yesterday.
After saying goodbye to Chris, the three siblings headed out.
But when Keith and Dewey saw the car they were about to get into, both froze in place.
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Dora glanced at the Toyota emblem and suddenly felt a little embarrassed.
