Chapter 14

Then they were moving, and Tina found that she didn’t have the guts to look up or deal with the people around them. She needed to rely on her parents right now, on the space Ilana and DX had made for them, on the knowledge that Debra could help their friends better than she could at the moment.

She told herself that she needed to save her energy for Bonnie, for the surgery, for whatever battles might arrive tomorrow. At the same time, she felt sheepish gratitude for the love her family and friends gave so freely. She felt keenly aware that Bonnie did not have this. Bonnie’s parents had done their best to make things difficult for them today. Tina’s parents were helping and supporting them. Maybe, Tina thought, it balanced out because Tina’s parents were part of Bonnie’s family now. Still, she felt a bit ashamed thinking of how strong Bonnie had to be all her life, and how alone she must have been at times.