Jared wiped the sweat off his forehead with his sleeve. He'd reached home. His sister Kerra's red face yelled, "Jared, where the hell have you been?"
Jared's heart skipped a beat; his neighbour wouldn't call Kerra unless it was an emergency. He entered the hut and glanced around.
"Where's mom?" Jared spun around to face Kerra.
"She's gone. She passed away."
The words hit him like a physical blow. Jared staggered back against the doorframe. "What? No, that's not..." He couldn't finish the sentence.
"She died because she was alone and in too much pain."
"God damn it! Why did I trust Pat? He'd lied to me when he said he would take good care of her!"
"Who's Pat?"
Jared's jaw tightened. "Someone who made promises he couldn't keep."
"Jared-"
"It doesn't matter now."
Kerra watched him for a moment, then her expression shifted to concern. "Jared... what happened to your eye?"
"I was stabbed and was in the hospital. That's why I wasn't here."
Kerra reached out, her hand hovering just before his face. "Jared, you're hurt...
He flinched away, the sting of the wound nothing compared to the pain in his chest. "I should have been here," he whispered, the words a confession to himself.