When my parents fought, they left my brother and me sitting outside on the air conditioning unit. We were several stories high, and our love-crazed mom wouldn’t let us inside, hoping Dad would feel remorse. But Dad didn’t feel anything—he just found her annoying, slammed the door, and left. The wind was bitterly cold, and I hugged my thinly dressed brother close, crying and pleading for Mom to let us back inside. But she was only focused on her own anger, pointing at us and saying, “If it weren’t for you two dead weights, I would’ve divorced him a long time ago! Shut your mouths! If you cry again, I swear you’ll never come back inside!” The wind dried my tears, and I silently promised never to forgive them. Later, Dad was drunk and got in an accident, hitting Mom with his car. They both ended up paralyzed. The insurance payout was in the hundreds of thousands, but I decided not to save them. Content My parents were fighting again; the sounds of things crashing around filled the house. Anything they could throw, they did. My mom yanked my brother and me out of bed and shoved us toward the window. We were dressed only in thin long-sleeves and sat barefoot, curled up on the air conditioning unit outside. Mom stood at the window, pointing at us and yelling, “Rick Grant! If you ever go after that tramp again, I’ll take the kids and we’ll all jump!” Reeking of alcohol, Dad snapped back, “Then jump, Clara! You’re always threatening to jump—go ahead and do it! You jump, and I’ll marry Lacey tomorrow!” Mom’s hair was wild, and she was shaking with rage as she threw a glass of water at him, screaming that he was no man. Dad didn’t hold back either, slapping her hard as soon as the glass hit him. “Stop making a scene and divorce me already. I’ve been done with you for a long time, you crazy witch!” He slammed the door as he left, hard enough to make the whole building shake. Mom sank to her knees at the window, covering her face and asking me in a daze, “Sunny, did you hear what he said? He doesn’t want us anymore.” I couldn’t care less about their fight. We were on the 18th floor, and the wind was strong enough to blow my brother and me off at any moment. I shivered uncontrollably. “Mom, my brother and I want you. Please, let us back in—it’s so cold out here.”
My brother’s face had turned bright red from the cold, and his nose was dripping, almost slipping into his mouth. He huddled against me, his hands and feet freezing, like blocks of ice. But Mom didn’t seem to hear us. She kept repeating, “He wants a divorce… He doesn’t want us anymore.” My feet were going numb, and I didn’t understand why she’d stay by the window but wouldn’t pull us back inside. It was early winter, and my brother was still young. If he stayed outside, he’d get sick. I flexed my numb fingers and stood up. I had to get my brother back inside first. I grabbed his hand and pushed him through the window. But suddenly, Mom jumped up and shoved me back. “Who said you could come back inside? Your dad wouldn’t even glance at you two; what good are you anyway?” My brother wailed, terrified, but Mom only yelled at him, “If it weren’t for you two burdens, I would’ve divorced him ages ago. Shut up! If you keep crying, don’t even think about coming back in!” Luckily, my brother had half his body inside already, so he tumbled into the room, while I stumbled back, landing on the edge of the air conditioning unit. If I hadn’t grabbed it quickly, I would’ve fallen. My upper body was clinging to the unit, my legs dangling below. I didn’t dare look down, and I cried out to Mom to save me. She looked out, startled, but after a quick glance, she went back inside. “If you fall, don’t blame me. Blame your dad for not saving you.” With that, she shut the window, blocking out the wind and my pleas.
My arms were aching, and tears poured down my face as I screamed for her. “Mom! I’ll listen from now on! I’ll never sneak my brother candy again. Please don’t abandon me!” “Mom, I don’t want to die. I really don’t want to fall.” “Mom, I love you. I’ll behave. I don’t want Dad anymore…” But no matter what I said, the window stayed shut. I felt hot and cold all over, my fingers stiffening. Then the air conditioner roared to life, blowing icy air over me. Mom had turned it on. She really didn’t want me anymore. My heart felt like it was freezing over, the pain numbing as the cold seeped in. I couldn’t hold on much longer—it was so, so cold. I couldn’t understand why she’d treat us like this. Was it because Dad was cruel to her? My brother and I loved her. If they divorced, we’d still want her… But she didn’t seem to want us. The wind dried my tears. I silently vowed that if I survived, I’d never forgive them. It was as if heaven heard my promise, as our neighbor Tess opened her window with an annoyed look. She squinted, her cigarette falling out of her mouth in shock. “Damn, girl! You cosplaying Batman up there or something?”
I looked at her through teary eyes, and Tess finally realized something was wrong. She quickly banged on our door and came to pull me back inside. Her hand, tattooed with a butterfly, reached out and yanked me in with a firm grip. My legs were too weak to stand, and I sat on the floor, the warmth making my cheeks tingle painfully. Mom scowled, shooing Tess away before snapping at me, “What were you yelling about? I wouldn’t really let you fall.” “Oh, and that woman? Don’t you dare speak to her again. She’s trash, can’t you tell?” I opened my mouth to say Tess was kind, but my throat was too raw to speak. Mom was always saying bad things about our single neighbor, claiming a woman her age who hadn’t married must have something wrong with her. But Tess was the one who had saved me. For the first time, I started to doubt what Mom had always told me. After a few minutes, I noticed an unusual silence. Where was my brother? I was ten, and he was three years younger, a kid who cried over everything. I found him slumped against the bathroom door, fainted from crying, his cheeks flushed and burning hot. He had a fever. My first thought was to call for Mom, but she’d locked herself in her room, listening to sad songs.
I had no choice but to bang on her door. “Mom! Finn is sick! We need to take him to the hospital!” But she didn’t respond, so I started kicking the door. “Mom, stop listening to music! Finn’s really sick…” He was already frail, getting sick a lot when he was little. I was scared he wouldn’t pull through this time, just like Grandpa and Grandma who had passed away. I kept kicking until she finally opened the door, and my foot landed on her shin. She yelped in pain and slapped me across the face. “Why are you kicking like an idiot? Just like your useless dad!” I bit my lip, swallowing my tears. “Finn’s sick, and you wouldn’t come out…” She interrupted me, “Why don’t you ask your dad? Is he dead?” “Besides, I don’t have money. If you can’t find your dad, then deal with it.” She slammed the door again. My brother’s fever was getting worse. I hoisted him onto my back, one arm under his legs, and the other holding him steady. If his fever spiked any higher, it could be life-threatening. I went over to Tess’s door, and she opened it, a purse slung over her shoulder like she was heading out. Seeing us, she frowned. “What do you want? Didn’t your mom tell me to get lost?”
I knew Tess had every right to be mad. She wasn’t obligated to help us. Sniffling, I mustered the courage to ask, “Tess, could I borrow your phone to call my dad?” She handed over her brand-new smartphone, and I called Dad again and again, but he didn’t pick up. Tess, noticing my struggle, took the phone from me and dialed a few more times herself. Finally, someone answered, but it was a woman. I asked her where my dad was, and she snorted before handing him the phone. Annoyed, he asked, “What? Is this your mom making you call? Tell her I’m not coming home!” “No, it’s not her, Dad. Finn has a fever. Please, come back and take him to the hospital.” He scoffed. “Yeah, right. Tell your mom even if both of you die, I’m not coming back!” Tess’s jaw dropped, and she snatched the phone, yelling, “What kind of father talks to his kids like that? Why don’t you do us all a favor and drop dead already!” She hung up with a sharp click, then looked at us and sighed. “Alright, I’ll take you to the hospital.”
The doctor said it was a good thing we’d come when we did. Finn was burning up and convulsing from the fever. Any longer, and he could’ve suffered brain damage or even worse. Sitting in the hospital waiting area, I turned to Tess and said, “I’ll pay you back for the hospital bills, Tess.” She pointed to my face. “You should get that looked at too. You’re a mess.” She handed me a small mirror, and I saw a scratch running across my cheek. Mom must have clawed me during one of her slaps, but I hadn’t felt it. It only started stinging now that Tess had pointed it out. I shook my head and decided not to get it treated. The bleeding had stopped, and besides, a doctor visit would cost more money. Tess didn’t push it. She handed me a stick of gum and asked, “Any other family besides your parents?” I thought for a moment, then shook my head. We used to have Grandpa and Grandma, but they’d passed away. It was just Dad and Mom now. Tess was silent, then she patted my shoulder and said, “Alright. From now on, if you need anything, come find me. The name’s Tess Harper.” “Thank you, Tess.” “Eh, don’t go calling me Tess like I’m old. Just call me ‘Tessie’.” I nodded. “Tessie.” She chuckled, mussing up my hair. “Don’t go thinking I’m a saint, though. I’m letting you stick around ‘cause you owe me, alright?” I nodded hard. I knew when someone was truly good—not by what they said, but by what they did. We didn’t go back home until the next day, but no one was there. Mom had taken all her things and whatever money was left. She left a note on the coffee table. “Even if you beg, I’m not coming back!” My heart turned cold. The note wasn’t even meant for us—it was for Dad. Finn, still weak, lay in bed with his eyes fixed on the ceiling, his fingers clutching mine tightly. “Sunny… what did we do wrong? Why don’t they want us anymore?” I didn’t know how to answer, so I turned away and wiped a tear with the back of my hand. His small hand gently brushed my cheek. “Sunny, I’ll grow up fast. I’ll make a lot of money, and I won’t ever let you cry again.” I buried my head in the blanket, feeling a stinging pain behind my eyes. Soon, the fabric was soaked through. I held him close, thinking, even if they’re gone, we can still make it.
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