Chapter 1

Thanksgiving Day was supposed to be special.

I had saved up for two months, taking extra shifts at the coffee shop, just for today. Just for a rare day out with my mother, Maria.

The wind in our small Rust Belt town was already biting, a sign of the harsh winter to come. I held the door open to the department store, a gust of warm air hitting my face.

"Mom, look at this one," I said, pointing to a thick, navy blue winter coat. "It's insulated. It would be perfect for when you're waiting for the bus to your cleaning jobs."

Maria barely glanced at it. She was busy texting, her face pinched in its usual weary expression.

"It's too expensive, Gabrielle. Don't waste your money."

"It's not a waste. It's for you," I insisted, my voice softer than I intended.

Suddenly, a loud whine came from behind me. "I'm so bored! Can we go already?"

It was my brother, Caleb. He was eighteen, unemployed, and had tagged along for the sole purpose of complaining. He kicked at a mannequin's base, earning a sharp look from a sales associate.

"Caleb, stop it," Maria said, but without any real force. Her eyes flicked back to the coat, then to me. "Fine. If you're so determined to spend your money, get the black one. It won't show the dirt as much."

It wasn't a "thank you," but for my mother, it was close enough. A small, tight knot of hope formed in my chest. Maybe today would be different.

On our way home, with the new coat in a large bag at my feet, we passed a huge, brightly lit tent set up in the town square. A massive banner read: "Gratitude Exchange - Live TV Event!"

Music was blasting, and a crowd had gathered around a makeshift stage.

Caleb's eyes lit up for the first time all day. He pointed a grubby finger at a display case on the stage. "Whoa. That's the new PSX-Pro. The one with the quantum processor."

He immediately turned to me, his usual manipulative whine already starting. "Gabi, you should get that for me."

"I just spent my savings on Mom's coat, Caleb. Maybe for Christmas, I can find you a used one..."

Before I could finish, Caleb tugged on Maria's arm. "Mom! She won't get it for me! It's right there!"

He pointed to a sign next to the display case. "Trade Your Gratitude for Amazing Prizes!"

Maria squinted at the sign, then looked from the gaming console to me. Her expression was flat.

"He's right," she said, her voice devoid of any warmth. "Why spend money when you have all that gratitude? It's not like it does anyone any good."

My heart dropped. The new coat in the bag suddenly felt like a heavy, useless rock.

"What?" I whispered, not sure I had heard her correctly.

"That gratitude of yours is useless anyway," Maria repeated, louder this time, as if I were stupid. "At least this way, Caleb gets something he wants. It's a good trade."

She was talking about my feelings for her. The feelings I had just tried to show by buying her a coat. She was saying they were worthless, something to be bartered away for a video game.

I felt the cold wind again, but this time it seemed to be coming from inside me.