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“Mandy, do you want some cookies?” Kate said to a shape lying under the blankets on Mandy’s bed.

Silence.

Kate came in and sat at the edge of her sister’s bed and put her hand on the girl’s back.

“Maybe a peanut butter and jelly sandwich?” she asked.

Nothing.

“Honey, are you sick?”

No response.

“The funeral was sweet. Mom’s colleagues came. Her boss from the supermarket paid for the cremation.”

“She would have wanted me there,” Mandy’s muffled voice came from under the blanket.

“Yes, but she’d understand you aren’t feeling well. Are you still tired?”

“Leave me alone.”

“It’s been three days, Mandy. Something’s wrong.”

“You’re not leaving me alone. That’s what.”

“I’m just worried.”

Mandy turned and peeked out from beneath the blanket.

“I don’t think we’ll ever get better now that Mom’s gone. We don’t have anyone now.”

“We have each other.” Kate patted her hand. “I’ll drop out of high school and start working. Don’t worry. I got you.”

Mandy hid her face in her palms and turned back to the wall.

“Now you’re ruining your life for me. I just can’t… I can’t live like this.”

A cold wave went through Kate. “Honey, you’re not talking about—”

She couldn’t say the words. Losing Mom to cancer was bad enough. Was her sister suicidal?

Mandy didn’t answer.

“Talk to me, please,” Kate whispered, desperation creeping through her in a dark cloud.

But Mandy didn’t respond.

By the end of the week, Kate had found a job as a dishwasher and another as a waitress. Unlike Mom, she’d dragged Mandy to see the local doctor, who’d said this sounded like depression and recommended a psychiatrist. The shrink had confirmed the diagnosis. Kate had found a third job as a waitress in another town, where a few years later she’d be promoted to a line cook’s position. All her earnings went to keeping the roof over their heads and paying Mandy’s medical bills. Soon, Kate knew exactly how Mom had felt.

Back in Dundail’s attic, Kate swallowed tears staring at the dark wood of the ceiling. Her mom had died, after a life of hard work, which she’d done to support Kate and Mandy. Kate was a high school dropout. Neither she nor Mandy had been vaccinated when they were children because Mom hadn’t had time to take them to the doctor. Kate had paid for herself and Mandy to be vaccinated when they were already grown-ups, she remembered.

And then, it was as though a dam had broken, and all the memories flooded through at once, choking her. They came from all ages in no order.

She and Mandy had moved out of their rental house and started a restaurant, Deli Luck.

At the age of sixteen, Mandy got knocked up and had Jax, becoming a single mother, just like their own mom.

Mandy had applied to be featured in Logan Robertson’s Sweet Burn TV show, where he refurbished restaurants that didn’t do well.