As the contents of Lizie’s backpack spilled onto the kitchen floor, the gravity of her situation hit me like a cold wave. Among the scattered papers was a stark, worn envelope with the words “FINAL WARNING” stamped in angry red ink.
I knelt down to gather the papers, pulling a notebook open to a page headed “EVICTION” in bold letters. Below, neatly written lists detailed what they would have to give up first—the essentials, the little things that hold a life together.
“Lizie,” I said softly, my voice catching. “What is all this?”
She froze, clutching her backpack tightly, avoiding my eyes.
Sam gasped beside me. “Lizie, this is… worse than I thought.”
Dan appeared in the doorway, scanning the papers I held. “What’s going on?”
I held up the eviction notice. “Lizie, are you and your dad at risk of losing your home?”
Her eyes dropped to the floor. “Dad told me not to tell anyone. Said it’s nobody’s business. That people would look at us differently—as if we’re begging.”
Dan crouched next to her. “Sweetheart, no one here thinks that. We just want to help.”
She bit her lip, then shakily nodded.
The weight of her secret was unbearable. She feared the judgment more than the reality.
I reached for my phone. “Let me talk to your dad. We want to support you both.”
