a bit like winter

Well...

Carly should have seen it coming.

Her sister and her husband were fighting again.

Just this morning before sunrise she'd watched her mother light a cigarette and walk out the door. She said she wasn't coming back.

Carly was used to this sort of threat. She'd lived by herself one summer, not so long ago. It was only a month or two and they'd fed her at school. That was before Harly met Cooper and the baby came along. It wasn't so bad. Carly read all of the Harry Potter series then. Even won a new bicycle at the library for reading the most books. But that didn't count for much now.

All there was was fussing and the baby crying. She'd used the last of the formula.Carly wished she could leave this trailer, but she was sure she'd have to take Bella with her.

But it was all quiet. Cooper must have finally said something nice.

Carly went back to her room with Bella, who fell in a deep sleep on her chest. She really did hate to move her.

She heard the thud of the floor. Steps down the thin hall. The door slammed again. Muffled words were spoken.

Carly closed her numb eyes. It was going to be OK. She kept promising herself. It was all going to be OK.

Then the old car screeched away.

Maybe Cooper left. They'd all get some sleep, but instead he opened the door to her tiny purple room.

"She took the god-damn car!" He looked at Carly as if she should have done something about it, "Your sister took my god-damn car!"

"Could you please..please whisper." Carly sighed not wanting Bella to wake. She'd been stuffy with a cold last night.

"I dunno what to do." He sat on the edge of the bed with his head resting against the palms of his hands.

"Call the cops." Carly whispered.

Cooper sighed as if this really wasn't his fault. After all, he was just a truck driver trying to make a living.

He was in tears, but he took out his cell and dialed 911.