“She didn’t eat all day, Mom. How was I supposed to ignore that?”
“That doesn’t—”
“She almost fainted in gym.” Sam’s voice was not loud but it was firm. “Her dad’s working double shifts. They had their power shut off last week. I know we’re not rolling in money, but we can afford to feed someone dinner.”
I stood in my kitchen looking at my thirteen-year-old daughter.
Dan moved to Sam’s shoulder. “Is that true, Sammie? All of it?”
She nodded. “Today she actually sat down on the gym floor for a minute during the mile. The teacher told her to eat better.” Sam looked at me steadily. “She eats lunch at school when the lunch program covers it. That’s not every day.”
The room tilted slightly.
I thought about the dinner I had just served and the careful portions Lizie had taken and the way she drank two full glasses of water.
