looked around Mom’s bedroom.
The older furniture.
The curtains Mom had repaired rather than replace because they were “still perfectly good.”
“I kept hearing you tell us you didn’t need anything,” Melissa said. “Eventually, I started believing you.”
She swallowed.
“Not just about money. About everything.”
Mom squeezed her hand.
“I’m sorry,” Melissa said.
“Not because I gave you twenty dollars.”
She wiped her face.
“I’m sorry because I started believing that since you never asked me for anything, there was nothing you needed from me.”
Mom pulled her into
