The Day Our Promise Breaks

Chapter 572

Katy picked up the medicine, shielding the herbal concoction with her umbrella as she hurried home.

She made her way back to the old neighborhood, threading through narrow alleys, and slipped into a weathered, cramped apartment.

The space was barely a hundred square feet, divided in half by a faded curtain. Katy tiptoed behind the curtain.

Yara lay on a narrow, child-sized bed, her face ghostly pale, still unconscious. Katy crept closer and carefully felt for her mother's breath.

Relieved to find Yara was still alive, Katy clumsily wiped the rainwater from her cheeks and set about preparing the medicine.

Her movements were practiced-she'd clearly done this many times before.

Yara, awakened by the sounds, slowly opened her eyes. She saw Katy's small back facing her, tending the old saucepan over the stove, fanning the flames. Katy was five, but looked even younger, painfully thin for her age.

Yara's eyes filled with tears.

She had once believed she could give Katy a good life, protect her from harm.

But she hadn't expected Blake to blacklist her.

What little savings she had left vanished faster than she'd imagined—especially when she fell ill so suddenly.

"Mommy, you're awake!"

Katy noticed Yara stirring and dashed to her bedside, her tiny hand checking Yara's forehead. "How do you feel, Mommy? I'm making your medicine-once you drink it, you'll feel better."

"Katy, where did you get the money?"

Yara hadn't been able to work as a designer since she got sick. Just as she'd planned to pick up some odd jobs, she started coughing blood.

had gone to doctor visits. There was

dollars," Katy said proudly. "He and I agreed I'll pay him back tomorrow. Mommy, will you come with

shaky kiss

the medicine's ready! I'll give you a big

mother's cheek in return, then hurried back to the bubbling

honey—it's hot," Yara warned, trying to sit up, but her

I.ne

novel.n

mitts, carefully. poured the medicine into a bowl, then brought

her

steaming

"Drink up, Mommy. If you finish it all, I'll give you

softened. The medicine was bitter, but somehow

The Robinson Family

Wiona, finished instructing the kitchen to prepare a few

favorite dishes, then settled

again, making sure he'd be home for dinner, and only

and so devoted to

been

the chance to spend time -no wonder

with

how remarkable

was create more opportunities

to see Lauren's

to fetch the gift she'd picked

Sunny E.—someone Wiona