Read Home for Free Online

you.” Allie avoided his gaze. She’d really jerked him around. They hadn’t needed the ride, and they could have cleaned up the cookies without his help, too.
    Allie headed inside and trudged down the stuffy hall. The twins were already waiting by the apartment door. They bounced and smiled as Allie pried out the key that she kept hidden in a deep crack in the doorframe.
    The door scraped across the lumpy carpet as she shoved it open. Cigarettes, stale beer, something fried...the smells crawled up her nose.
    Heavy, faded curtains spread across the farthest wall, blocking out the sun except where it snuck in through the tears and gaps. A sunbeam shone on an empty whiskey bottle on the floor.
    No one was home.
    A cloud of dust puffed up as Allie flopped down on the couch. Luke and Madeleine raced down the hall to their bedroom—the one they all shared—and yammered loudly as they pulled out their toys.
    Allie picked up the TV remote and pressed random buttons. Nothing but static on the screen. Cable was shut off, again.
    She got up and walked to the bathroom, stepping over a broken doll and a truck with no wheels. The taps squealed and shook when she turned them on. Grey water finally sputtered out, and Allie let it flow over her cupped hands, waiting for warmth. Nothing. Just cold water that kept getting colder. They’d shut off the hot water, too. Allie quickly splashed her face, then turned off the taps and watched the last drops of water trickle down the drain.
    As she left the bathroom, Allie ran her fingers along the deep crack in the wall. It had a speckled, oily feel. Years of fly poop and cooking grease.
    Allie wiped her hand on her pants. At least she didn’t have to deal with that stupid Jonathan. And maybe this time Allie could get her mom to really listen—get her to see that if she changed, even a little bit, they could be a real family, again.
    Suddenly, the front door crashed open. Mom! Allie ran into the living room, then screeched to a stop. It was their mom, but she wasn’t alone. A strange man was with her, and he was carrying a couple of brown paper bags—the type you get at the liquor store.
    Allie’s heart sank.
    “Hi,” Allie said, trying to sound normal.
    “Allie, how’d you get back? What are you doing here?”
    No smile. No hug. Just what are you doing here?
    “Well, you might as well stay. This is Stan.” Allie’s mom pointed at the man.
    “Hi. How are you?” Allie asked, hoping this one would be better than the last.
    Stan just shrugged. Great. Another dumb one.
    Madeleine and Luke pounded down the hall and threw their arms around their mom. They clung to her silently, burying their little faces into her belly.
    “Good to see ya,” their mom said, as she patted their backs absentmindedly. “This is Stan.”
    The twins smiled shyly—their usual response to Mom’s never-ending trail of boyfriends.
    “Come on, let’s get supper on the table,” Stan said, pulling out a big bottle of whiskey.
    “Mom, please,” Allie begged. “The foster worker said we can’t come home until you stop drinking.”
    “I’ll stop when I’m good and ready.” She flopped down on the couch while Stan filled two glasses to the rim.
    Allie wrapped her arms around the twins and headed to their room. They’d kill a few hours playing games and eating cookies. Then she’d tell them stories until they fell asleep, the way she always did when this happened. Allie took a deep breath, trying to loosen the tight feeling in her throat. Why didn’t Mom get it? Why didn’t she see that she was going to lose them forever if she didn’t go back to the way she used to be?
    The twins curled up in bed with Allie, waiting for her to make up their first game. They knew how these bad days went.
    When the twins finally drifted off, Allie tiptoed back to the living room. Her mom and Stan were both asleep, empty glasses in their hands. Allie stood in the doorway, staring. No cable, no hot water, and a useless