Yesterday was a good day, Mara thought as she waited for Cody in the parking lot. It was still another ten more minutes before he was scheduled to go home. Cody was all ball of excitement the moment he woke up. He had never been so excited about school that he couldn't put on his new shoes and new backpack fast enough. Her little brother was even excited about the lunch she packed in his new lunch bag.

It was not that she couldn't afford to buy him those, but things had gotten overwhelming with her stepdad that she had gotten used to spending the barest minimum on stuff aside...