I forced a smile.
“We’re going somewhere new.”
“Will Daddy come?”
That question caught me off guard.
“Not today, sweetheart.”
She accepted that answer in the simple way children sometimes do. Then she folded the sweater badly and placed it inside the box.
I turned away before she could see me cry.
I had no savings, a part-time job at a dental office, and barely enough money to keep Trixie and me afloat.
My salary covered groceries and little else.
I spent several nights searching for apartments after Trixie went to sleep.
Most places required a security deposit, the first month’s rent, proof of income, and a credit score I did not have.
Some landlords stopped replying when I mentioned my daughter.
Others wanted more than I earned in a month.
By the end of the week, I had begun to understand how quickly fear could settle into a person’s body.
