"I never want to be like that," she said.
They looked at her and didn't have the heart to say what they were thinking.


---

Their front yard was threadbare and full of things. Their house was threadbare and full of things. Their lives were threadbare and full of things. Their imaginations were creaky and covered with dust. Their dreams were scrawny stray dogs haunting unused back alleys. Their allergies were acting up.

They didn't have the heart to think what they were thinking. They were not heartless but knew they couldn't afford something that was more than, the sum of, part one, plus one, plus one ...