Above her desk, Mom’s bulletin board was covered, as usual, with sticky notes and photos of Ainsley and me, along with a few group photos of her with teachers or students at events like prom or field trips. One of the newer additions to the board was a to-do list, on which I spotted my name.

“Darcy’s birthday,” I read out loud.

“Surprise,” Mom joked as she paused typing. “What would you like this year? Big party or big present?”

That had been the rule for Ainsley and me for as long as I could remember. A big party usually meant a group gathering at a venue, maybe at home, with food provided for everyone, as well as stuff for us to do. If we chose that option, we still got a present, but it was something a bit more modest. Or, we could choose for our parents to splurge on a present, and the celebration itself would be more along the lines of a store-bought cake with candles at the kitchen counter, along with pizza or Indian food or something. Unluckily for us, having divorced parents hadn’t resulted in twice the presents on birthdays and Christmas. Our parents managed to put aside their differences twice a year to collaborate on this.

“Um, I hadn’t really thought about it,” I said.

“Well, it’s only three weeks away now. You’ve gotta give us some warning.”

“Can I let you know in a couple of days?”

“Sure thing.”

She was obviously distracted by whatever email she was replying to, so I took the opportunity to head back down to the locker. Once I was sure there was nobody around I retrieved the letters and let myself into an empty classroom, locked the door, and sat against the wall so I wouldn’t be caught while I went through them.

The first couple of letters were standard.

The third one was unusual. It had fifty dollars in it.

I opened it, frowning. I’d had more than one letter with no money in it, sent by someone who, for whatever reason, couldn’t afford the ten dollars. And, of course, in situations like that I was happy to waive the fee. I of all people understood the feeling of needing help but not having the means to pay for the service. But I’d never seen a tip like this before.