So with Ariel, I noticed everything. I kept teacher notes and photographed certificates she barely cared about.
I told myself I was making sure she never felt invisible.
Nobody treated me badly.
***
I gave Ariel a few dollars for school most mornings. Most days, she saved it in a small wooden box on her dresser.
I assumed she wanted headphones or some toy she’d spotted online.
Then one afternoon, I bumped the dresser while putting away towels.
The lid opened.
I gave Ariel a few dollars for school.
The box was empty.