The sound was faint at first, it was like wind slipping through a crack in the wall. Kalisa thought it was the house settling, or maybe her imagination. But the more she listened, the more she realized it was steady, rhythmic and from a human.
They were sobs.
She froze under her blanket. She didn't want to move, didn't want to care. But her heart thudded in her chest, and the anxiety gnawed at her until she couldn't stand it anymore.
Quietly, she slipped out of bed, bare feet gliding over the cold floor. The hallway was dim, lit only by a strip of moonlight from the window. She followed the sound, slowly, carefully, until she reached the kitchen.
Her mother was sitting at the table, back hunched, hair falling over her face. In her trembling hands was a small picture. The light from the overhead lamp caught the wet trails on her cheeks.
Kalisa lingered in the doorway for a moment, torn between anger and curiosity.
"Mom?" she asked softly.
