Chapter 3

I didn’t flinch from Stepdad’s glare in the rearview mirror. Pulling Hamin tighter against my chest, I turned my head, pressing my lips into her forehead. “Honey, don’t just sit there! Do something! I can’t even place my order for the sandals I wanted for our next trip!” Stepdad’s eyes, already narrow with fury, screwed shut in sheer frustration. The tense standoff dissolved in an instant, broken by Mom’s shallow vanity. But relief was nowhere to be found. Inside the cramped cabin, there was no escaping his bellowing.