Chapter 3

David's pep talk really paid off.

When I woke up, I could see Alex was way more comfortable around us.

He even grabbed snacks in front of me, and at dinner, he finally started taking meat for himself.

The best part? He listened to whatever I said. If I told him to do something, he'd just do it.

I could finally worry less.

Alex was the kind of kid who always noticed what needed to be done. He'd start helping out with chores without anyone asking.

I never stopped him.

Honestly, with his personality, letting him pitch in made him feel more at home here.

Next thing I knew, it was the second day and Alex had to head back to school.

His school was near his mom and stepdad's place, about an hour and a half drive from us.

After lunch, David drove him back to school, and I tagged along.

When we got there, David loaded 100 dollars onto Alex's meal card and handed him another 65 dollars in cash.

Before leaving, David and I checked out Alex's dorm room.

It was late fall, but all he had was a thin blanket on his bed.

I dragged David out to buy a thick comforter, and grabbed two boxes of organic high-calcium milk while we were at it.

I was worried Alex was so used to scrimping that he'd refuse to spend on food, so I found myself nagging him before we left.

I said, "If you want to get taller, drink at least two cartons of milk every day, eat an egg for breakfast, and make sure you have meat for lunch and dinner.

"If you ever run out of money, call your dad or me. Don't save on food, got it?"

Alex looked at me and nodded obediently. "Julia, I got it."

I nodded, satisfied, and reminded him, "Don't be reluctant to wear your new clothes. If you eat well, you'll grow fast and they'll be too small before you know it. Don't let them go to waste.

"And remember, come home for the holidays. Your dad will make delicious food for you."

David patted Alex's shoulder and said, "Listen to Julia."

Alex gave a small smile. "Okay."

After we walked Alex into the school building, David and I were about to head home.

As we got back in the car, something else crossed my mind.

"Since we're already here, you should go talk to Alex's homeroom teacher," I suggested.

Realization struck David. "Oh, right! Wait here, I'll be quick."

I rolled my eyes. "But only if she's not busy."

David nodded. "You're right."

I urged, "Stop talking and go already."

"Alright."

He hopped out of the car and jogged into the school.

It was over half an hour before he finally came back.

He looked like he was in a great mood.

"The teacher said Alex is doing really well. If nothing goes wrong, he'll get into a top high school," David said.

I was happy too. "Tell Alex to work hard and aim for Riverside High School. It'll make coming home way easier."

Riverside High School was one of the best in the city, and it was right near our neighborhood.

David thought for a moment, then nodded. "I'll talk to him about it next time."

*****

Once we got home, David and I sat down to talk about cutting back on the child support.

Back when David and Linda split up, he was making less than 1600 dollars a month, so they agreed on 500 dollars a month for child support.

But David always felt guilty about Alex, so as his salary went up, he kept raising it until it hit 1000 dollars a month.

Of course, it was easy to raise the amount, but trying to lower it? That was a whole different headache.

David had to go back and forth with Linda for days before she finally agreed to drop it back down to 500 dollars a month.

But the catch was, David had to cover all of Alex's living expenses, school fees, and medical bills himself.

I let out a frustrated laugh. "So you're paying for everything, and they're pocketing 500 dollars for free?"

David gave a self-deprecating smile. "Back when I was sending her 1000 dollars a month, she was basically getting 800 dollars for nothing."

I thought about it and nodded. "Yeah, that sounds about right."

At least now, the 300 dollars we were saving could actually go straight to Alex.

The day before Thanksgiving, Alex called to say Ryan was sick, and his mom wanted him to come home and take care of him. Alex said he'd come over next time.

David looked a bit upset, but didn't say much. He only told Alex to call if he needed anything.

We both figured Alex wouldn't be coming over during the holiday.

But two days later, just before bed, there was another knock at the door.

I went to open it, and there was Alex, one side of his face swollen and red, his eyes brimming with tears as he looked at me.