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176 Up In Smoke (Winona)
Cass flips through the tv channels again while mom gets ready to go out for breakfast. | can tell she's restless,
probably nervous about this new community and going out. They sure need to get sclothing. | wonder if |
can convince them to lettake them shopping?
Mom's out of the bathroom now and sitting in the armchair by the window, staring out at the city beyond. | can't
tell if she's thinking about the past or worrying about the future-probably both.
Just as I'm about to suggest we go get food and look in the variety store for sbasics, Cass stops on a news
channel. The reporter is talking about a fire, and the area it's in makespay attention.
"The fire, which broke out late last night, completely destroyed a house in the area. Witnesses say they saw a
car and Molotov cocktails being thrown just before the flames engulfed the old home." Cass suddenly goes still,
her eyes locked on the screen. | look at the TV, and my heart stops.
It's the old house. Or what's left of it. Flames are still flickering in the debris, and the camera pans the wreckage.
There's nothing left but charred remains.
"Oh my God," Mom whispers, her hand flying to her mouth. "That's... that's our home."
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I don't know what to say. The house was a dump, but it was still hto her. It was where Mom and Cass lived,
where Mom rebuilt her life and raised Cass. And now it's gone. Cass's face hardens, and she turns to me, her
eyes blazing with anger. "This is your fault," she spits out. You turned up and ruined everything."
"What?" | say, stunned. "Cass, | didn't-
"If you hadn't clooking for me, if you hadn't attacked him and threatened them with a gun, maybe it
wouldn't have happened!" She's practically shouting now, her fists clenched at her sides. "Cass, stop," Mom
says, her voice trembling. "This isn't Winona's fault."
H
But Cass isn't listening. She's too caught up in her anger, desperate to blsomeone for what's happened.
"You think you're so perfect, coming in here and trying to fix everything. But all you did'is make things worse!"
"Cass, that's not fair," | say, trying to keep my voice calm. "I didn't want this to happen. Maybe you shouldn't
have taken off and not chfor dinner. | was helping you."
"Well, you made things worse," she snaps, tears welling up in her eyes. "And now we have nothing. No home, no
place to go... nothing."
Mom stands up, her face pale. "Even though it's a terrible thing, maybe this is a sign," she says quietly. Maybe
it's tto let go of the past and start over. We can't go back there now, Cass. There's nothing left. But we could
have been in there. We could be dead." Cass glares at her for a second, but the fight drains out of her. "You're
right. That fire was meant for us. For Winona and I." She slumps back onto the couch, staring at the TV in
disbelief. "I can't believe it's gone," she mutters. "Just like that." 176 Up In Smoke
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| kneel down in front of her, trying to catch her eye. "Cass, | know this is hard. But it's a chance for
you and Mom to move forward. To find something better. You can cback to this scity just a better area
that you lived in before."
She doesn't respond, just keeps staring at the screen. But | can see the gears turning in her head, the realization
that there's no going back.
Mom takes a deep breath, her hands shaking. "Winona, maybe... maybe staying in your city for a while wouldn't
be so bad. Just until we figure out what to do next. But I've never had to make rent. I'm not sure how | can afford
it."
| nod, relieved that she's willing to consider it. "We'll find a way to make this work, Mom. Jayden is a property
dealer and where your house is, was, that block will have svalue. He'll do the research and if it's a suburb
worth fixing up, he'll find you a good price "More charity from the rich folks. Wow, I'm so grateful Cass finally
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmlooks at me, her expression harsh.
I sigh. "Look Cass, | know this is hard. I've had to walk away from everything before and start over. But things
have a way of working out. At this point, it is what it is. You have to make the most of it." "Fine," she says, her
voice quiet but no less angry. "But don't expectto like it."
"I don't expect you to like it. | don't expect you to like anything. | do expect you to do the right thing and support
your mother through this hard tthough. Stop thinking about yourself for a minute." She glares atagain. |
glare back, silently begging her to stop being so argumentative and just go along with things.
Cass grabs her backpack and slings it on her back. "I thought we were going for food?" She goes towards 'the
door and opens it. "I'm starving.
I'll take that as a win, so | may as well keep the ball rolling. "How about after that we go shopping and pick up
sbasic clothes to take back with us?" "Fine," Cass concedes.
| grab my purse and turn and give Mom a wink. "Great. Let's go have a girls day." | hold my hand out to Mom.
She takes my hand.
"We got this, Mom."
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