She immediately shook her head.
“I can’t do that right now, honey.”
I frowned.
“Why not?”
She hesitated.
“I don’t have my savings anymore.”
I stopped.
“What do you mean?”
For years, Mom had kept emergency money aside specifically for situations like this.
“You had five thousand dollars saved.”
She looked embarrassed.
“I lent it to Lauren.”
Lauren.
My brother Kyle’s wife.
The name alone made my stomach tighten.
Lauren hardly ever called Mom unless it was a holiday or she wanted something.
“How much did you give her?”
Mom lowered her eyes.
“All of it.”
I stared at her.
“All five thousand?”
“She needed help after the car accident,” Mom explained quickly. “She said the repairs were expensive.”
