“I wouldn’t be able to hide it. I’d have to study and⁠—”

“You could study in the library,” I say. “Do they have lockers at community college? You could just keep everything there.”

Silence comes from the other end of the phone.

“It seems impossible, right?” I ask.

“Right.”

I know that feeling.

“Could I come and stay with you?”

I exhale. The old me would have said yes right away. I would have seen it as my duty to look after Marion. “Let me think about it. I’m not really set up at the moment. It’s not like I have a place for you to stay. And⁠—”

“I’ll pay my way. You know I’m a hard worker.”

“It’s not that,” I say. “It’s more that I want you to find your own path out. I want to help you. But you can’t just do what I’m doing. You have to create your own future. Your dream is community college. Let’s try and figure out a way for you to do that.”

She sighs. I know how hopeless she feels. Like there’s no way out. Like she’s trapped. I’ve been there. But somehow I found a way. Marion will too, especially if I help.

“You should look at scholarships,” I say. “Maybe you should think about a college that would offer financial assistance for your room and board.”

“What? You think I should apply to Harvard or something?”

“You made good grades. Did the guidance counselor not talk to you about applying anywhere?”

“Once or twice. She thought I should apply to the University of Oregon. She thought I had a good shot at a full scholarship.”

“But you didn’t apply?” I ask.

“Mom said I’d end up in a ton of debt, with the same job I’d have without a college degree.”

My heart breaks a little more. Shouldn’t a mother encourage her child’s dreams, rather than focus only on herself? I wasted so much time trying to please a woman who didn’t see me as a human. Just someone to serve her.

“Mom would say that.”

“She’s got a point. College isn’t meant for everyone.”

“But you’re not everyone—you’re you. College is made for people like you. Hell, I would have liked to have gone to college.” I say it without thinking, but it’s true. I got good grades. I never even considered college because I knew Mom expected me to get a full-time job as soon as possible. A future other than one she’d planned never even occurred to me.

“You used to love poetry, didn’t you?” she asks.

I’d spend hours in the library creating poems. I mentioned going to college for English to my mom once and she’d just laughed. I didn’t bring it up again.