The stairs creaked as Amber Ross hurried down them. She plopped down on the bottom stair and put on her running shoes, quickly tying them as Percy, her grandmother’s cat, came slinking out of the shadows, purring loudly as he rubbed against her bare legs.

“I suppose you want me to feed you?” she whispered, as she walked to the kitchen, trailed by the meowing cat. Amber fed Percy and looked at the glowing blue clock on the microwave. She still had plenty of time to fit in a run before school started.

The kitchen light flipped on, and Amber blinked against the bright light that flooded the room.

“Off for a run?” Amber’s dad, Will, asked, as he reached past her and flipped on the coffee pot.

“Don’t worry, I’ve got time,” Amber said, “Why are you up so early?”

Her dad had lost his job at the community college just shy of six months ago. They’d lost their house three months ago. Both of those developments were why they had ended up where they currently were … living with his parents’, Don and Phyllis Ross.

“I’ve got a job interview.” Will offered, as he grabbed a mug out of the cabinet.

“Good.” Amber said, feeling a bit guilty that she couldn’t manage a more celebratory tone. She let her eyes wander over him. He looked tired, beat up from all of the crap that life had thrown his way since his wife, Amber’s mom, had received the cancer diagnosis more than two years ago. She’d been gone for a year now, and Amber’s heart still reeled every single time that she thought about her for more than a few seconds. Still, as much as her mom’s death had been wrenching for her, it had hurt just as much to watch her dad’s entire life fall apart too.

“It is good,” Will agreed, as he ran a hand over his stubble, “It’s time to get my shit together,” he winked at her, “We don’t want to live with your Gram and Gramps forever, do we?”

“We do not,” Amber grinned, “Hey, maybe you should come with me, old man,” she poked his stomach, “You haven’t been on a run in months, even with Grandpa.”

“Yeah, I’ve slacked off. I know I have. Next time, sweetheart. I promise.”

“Fine, but I’m going to hold you to it.”

“Amber, be extra vigilant,” her dad’s words stopped her as she loped towards the front door, “I saw on the news that another runner was killed just last week. That makes three now.”

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