The box was empty; a gaping emptiness where hope had resided moments before.
“No, no, no, no…” My breath hitched, panic starting to claw at the edges of my mind.
I scrambled through the space under the bed, rifled through the closet, and tore open drawers, but there was nothing.
Lainey’s smile faded as she sensed my growing distress. “Jo, what’s wrong?” she asked softly.
“The money’s gone… all of it!” My voice trembled, disbelief washing over me.
“What?! Maybe Kyrin—”
“He didn’t.” My voice wasn’t harsh, just… dead certain.
I couldn’t afford to let doubts creep in; Kyrin wouldn’t touch money that wasn’t his, which meant there was onlyoneother person to point the finger at.
Vanessa.
“You don’t think it was your momma, do you?”
I turned to her with narrowed eyes. “Iknowit was Vanessa.”
“Okay, Jo… I’m not taking sides, but you said your mama had been doing better lately. Before you jump the gun, it won’t hurt to ask Kyrin. You know how kids love to play with money they find.”
As much as I hated to admit it, Lainey had a point. With a reluctant nod, I walked into the living room, forcing calm into my tone.
“Hey, sport. Did you happen to move some money from my box under the bed?”
Kyrin turned from the TV, his expression innocent. “What money? And what box?”
“Nothing. Just go empty your plate,” I said, my composure slipping as I retreated back to the bedroom.
Back in the bedroom, my hands shook as I dialed Vanessa’s number, desperation climbing higher with each ring.
Voicemail.
I called again.
Straight to voicemail.
A surge of fury rose in my throat, hot and bitter. “She took it!” I choked out, the betrayal penetrating deeper than I cared to acknowledge. “I know she did! She stole it!”
Lainey cautiously stepped closer, her voice gentle. "Okay, just—”
“No, Lainey!” I burst, emotions spilling over like a dam breaking. “Do you know what I had to do for that money?! That was Kyrin’s surgery money! And now what? Now I gotta get back in the game, risk my life again, because she couldn’t keep her sticky-ass hands to herself?!”
As tears threatened to spill, they weren’t soft; they were blazing with anger and disappointment.
“I swear… I hate her sometimes! I hate her! How can a mother be so—” My voice cracked as anguish twisted painfully in my chest. “So selfish?! So careless?! Why would she do this to me—to Kyrin—when she knows what he’s facing, even if she didn’t know what the money was for?! What kind of mama does that?!”
Lainey moved closer, her presence a comforting weight as she lowered her voice, “Breathe, Jo… just breathe. Listen, your momma’s choices isn’t your reflection; they’re hers. And sometimes the people we keep hoping will change, just… don’t.”
She squeezed my shoulder, grounding me in that moment.
“My advice? Go on this trip and clear your head. Maybe going to Mexico will give you the kind of clarity you can’t get sitting in the middle of chaos. Sometimes stepping away is the only way to see what needs to be done.”
I looked away, fire still licking the back of my throat. “It better, because right now, I can’t win for losing.”