“Yes.”
“Only toast.”
“Only toast.”
“No butter.”
Benji looked offended. “Butter is the best part.”
Samuel ignored him.
Mara made toast.
At 7:42, he sat.
At 7:45, all four boys were eating actual food.
No one announced victory.
Mara was carrying plates to the sink when Damon returned.
He looked at the table, then at the clock.
“You’re hired.”
Mara turned.
“I need the terms in writing.”
Ruth laughed outright this time.
Damon stared at Mara for two seconds.
Then, unexpectedly, he smiled.
It was brief and tired, but real.
“Of course you do.”
The job solved one problem and uncovered several others.
Mara started the next morning at six thirty. Ruth showed her the small suite above the garage that came with the position. It had one bedroom, a narrow kitchen, and enough room for Lily if the court approved overnight stays. The refrigerator worked. The lights worked. The locks worked.
Mara stood in the doorway longer than necessary.
“Something wrong?” Ruth asked.
“No.”
Mara touched the light switch.
“That’s the point.”
She called her attorney before breakfast. Stable employment. Housing included. Written salary. Health insurance. Vehicle access.
For the first time in weeks, the lawyer’s voice sounded hopeful.
The boys remained difficult.
