Chapter 2 All that matters

Elena stepped off the bus, her fingers tightening around the straps of her worn-out backpack. The evening air was thick with the scent of rain, the sky a dull shade of gray. She exhaled slowly, trying to push away the tension lingering from her argument with Claire. That didn't matter now.

What mattered was home.

Her feet moved faster as she neared the small, single-story house with peeling white paint and a slightly tilted mailbox. It wasn't much, but it was where her mother was. Where she was needed.

She barely had the chance to open the door before her mother rushed forward. "Elena," Mrs. Carter breathed, her voice tight with worry. "Your father-"

Elena caught her mother's trembling hands and squeezed them gently. "What happened?" she asked, though a sinking feeling in her stomach told her she already knew.

Mrs. Carter stepped back, brushing her hands against her apron. "It's his liver," she murmured. "And his heart. The doctor said the damage is progressing faster than expected."

Elena's chest tightened. For years, their lives had been in chaos, drowning under the weight of her father's addiction. He had stolen from them, drained every bit of stability they tried to build, and almost destroyed them entirely. The lowest point had come three years ago when he had nearly killed Adam in a drunken rage. That was when he finally decided to change.

And he had changed. He fought through withdrawal, attended therapy, and worked to rebuild the trust he had shattered. They had just started to feel like a family again.

But now, just as things were settling, the past was catching up to them in the worst way.

"Where is he?" she asked softly.

"In the bedroom," her mother whispered. "He's resting now, but the doctor said we need to consider inpatient care."

Elena's jaw clenched. They didn't have money for inpatient care. They barely had money for rent.

"Did the doctor say anything else?"

Her mother hesitated before nodding. "If we don't get him the right treatment soon... it could be too late."

Elena swallowed hard. She couldn't let this happen again. She couldn't watch her mother fall apart while trying to hold everything together.

Just then, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Elena?"

She turned to see her younger brother, Adam, peeking around the hallway corner. At fifteen, he was taller now, his once-childish features sharpening with age, but his eyes still held the same wary concern he had carried since their father's worst days.

"Hey," she said, forcing a smile as she stepped toward him. "You okay?"

Adam nodded, but his gaze flickered toward their parents' room. "Is Dad... is it bad?"

Elena reached out and squeezed his shoulder. "We're going to figure it out," she promised. "We always do."

He didn't look convinced, but he didn't push further. Instead, he exhaled sharply and muttered, "I'll be in my room."

As he disappeared, she turned back to her mother. "I'll figure something out," she promised.

Mrs. Carter gave her a sad smile. "You always do."

Later that evening, as Elena sat at the dining table with a cup of lukewarm tea, her phone buzzed.

A message from Sophie, one of the few friends she had at school.

Sophie: "Hey! A bunch of us are going out tonight. You should come. You need a break."

Elena stared at the screen. A break sounded nice. A few hours to forget about responsibilities, to pretend she was just another college student without the weight of the world on her shoulders.

But that wasn't her reality. Her reality was in the room next to her, groaning in pain. She shut the door to the room cutting out the whimpering.

She typed out a quick response. "Can't tonight. Got some things to take care of. Rain check?"

She barely had time to set her phone down before another thought crossed her mind.

Money.

They needed it. More than ever.

Without hesitating, she scrolled through her contacts and found a familiar number.

Mr. Lawson, her former boss at the diner she had worked at before starting school. She should have just continued her job there but her mother had wanted her to focus on school. With her father finally holding down a job her mother didn't see the need for her to stress herself while also going to school. If only she hadn't listened.

She hesitated for only a second before typing: "Hi, Mr. Lawson. I was wondering if you still needed an extra set of hands at the diner? I can take extra shifts."

The response came quickly. "Elena! You know I'd always take you back. We could use someone dependable, we miss you around here. Can you start tomorrow?"

Relief flooded her. "Yes. Thank you so much." Mr. Lawson could even loan her some money, that would cater to the immediate in patient need, she would work it off and figure out the rest from there.

She locked her phone and exhaled, rubbing her temples.

She would make it work. She always did.

Even if it meant sacrificing herslef in the process.

The next morning, Elena woke up before the sun had fully risen. The house was quiet except for the rhythmic ticking of the clock in the living room. She moved carefully, trying not to wake anyone as she slipped into the tiny kitchen to make coffee.

Her mother walked in moments later, her eyes filled with exhaustion. "You're up early."

Elena offered a small smile. "Couldn't sleep."

Mrs. Carter hesitated before sitting across from her. "You shouldn't have to carry this burden alone, Elena."

Elena reached for her mother's hand. "I don't mind. I just want us to be okay."

Her mother squeezed her fingers. "You're a good girl."

Elena forced a chuckle. "Don't say that like it's a bad thing."

Mrs. Carter sighed, running a hand through her graying hair. "I just want you to live, Elena. Not just survive."

Elena didn't answer. Because right now, survival was all she could afford.

"Sometime I wonder what good I have done in my life to deserve you my Love, and sometimes I wish you had not been born to me....

Elena removed her hand from her mother with a start. "...what are you saying Mother."

"It's true, we are nothing but a burden to you."

"No, never. I wouldn't change a thing. Now stop saying things like this." She stood up and poured a cup of tea for her mother.

By the time she arrived at the diner, the familiar scent of coffee and grease filled her lungs. It was small and slightly outdated, but it had been a second home for her once.

Mr. Lawson greeted her with a warm smile. "Elena! It's good to see you again."

"Good to be back," she replied, tying an apron around her waist.

He gave her a knowing look. "I won't ask why you're back, but if you ever need to talk, you know where to find me."

Elena smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Mr. Lawson."

He patted her shoulder before heading to the kitchen.

As the hours passed, Elena lost herself in the rhythm of work. It was exhausting, but in a way, comforting. The weight of her worries eased slightly when she was busy.

But no matter how hard she worked, she knew the battle was just beginning.

She had no idea that her biggest challenge was yet to come, in the form of the SINCLAIR family.

And the storm they were about to bring into her life.