Single-parent homes. Her soft hands in mine. Polyelectrolytes. “It’s not easy being raised by a single parent.” You’re so obtuse. “Just who is this mystery girlfriend with Alejandro Ramirez?” The atomic mass of lithium is…“Yeah, I do, tater.” Defense mechanisms. MCAT. “Nana said volleyball won’t pay the bills.” A tear on her cheek. Single-parent homes create poverty and dysfunction.“Could I be more stupid?” The fleece blanket tumbled off me as I sat straight up in the dark. How long had I been thrashing around? In the dim light from the kitchen stove, I could barely make out the time on my watch: 1:47. I tried to quiet my groan so as not to wake up Maddie in her bedroom.Somewhere in the preceding hours, I’d realized she’d never mentioned her mother. That must mean her mother had died, and stupidly, I hadn’t known. I’d probably stuck my foot in my boca about a hundred times, going on about single parents neglecting their children, my own mother annoying me, black families needing more stability.
