39|The Flats—Part 2

Since Marybeth always looked on the bright side of life, she gladly welcomed the invitation, lugging the grocery bags in front of her.

She slammed the door shut behind her, wishing she hadn't, when the dank smell of wet clothes and general unkemptness hit her right about the same time as the lack of light in the room.

The curtains were drawn in the living room, where two young boys, whose resemblance was so uncanny they could be twins and young enough to still be breastfed, played at their mother's feet.

Adeline was nowhere in sight, and Marybeth assumed she was still on her way, walking home with her friends. Did she even have friends, though? Come to think of it, she'd never seen her play with anyone at lunchtime—

"What did she do this time?" Adeline's mom asked as she reached for a pack of no-name brand cigarettes and lit one up, unbothered by the smell or secondary smoke her little ones were taking in.

"She didn't do anything wrong," Marybeth was quick to assure her as she hovered