Worth the Effort: Ella's Story

Chapter 6

I was forced to endure Dad until he—and when I say he, I mean his driver, because neither of my parents drive themselves anywhere—dropped me off at 10:30 P.M. So this morning, 3:15 feels earlier than normal. I jump in the shower, decide to go for simple, and twist my hair into a messy bun. I brew a cup of coffee to go and make it to work with seven minutes to spare.

Ayden is awake when I get there, which makes me feel special in some way.

"You're early," he says.

Sitting across from him, I suppress the pleasure that rolls through me at his observation. When I hand him the coffee, he wraps both hands around the tall cardboard cup.

I dig out a baggie from my purse to hand to him, but pull back just before he takes it from me. "We ran out of cream cheese, so I put peanut butter on it. You don't have a peanut allergy, do you?"

His smile makes my stomach flutter. It's a knowing smile. An intelligent smile. I don't even know how to describe it, but somehow it isn't what I'd expect a homeless kid to have in his smile arsenal.

"No peanut allergy."

I hand him the baggie, which is smeared inside with peanut butter. He lifts the bagel out like it's precious, and I think I hear his stomach growl.

"Have you eaten since yesterday morning?" I ask.

He bites into the bagel like a sandwich. His eyes are closed, and he chews slowly. With his mouth full, he simply nods.

Tension releases from my shoulders. I study his euphoric expression and a single laugh barks out of me.

He opens his eyes and gives me a questioning look.

My mouth falls open to answer, but then I shake my head.

He clutches the bagel in one hand and lifts his coffee with the other.

With a private smile, I stand and turn toward work, while he savors his breakfast in bed.