Page 52 of Penalized Love

“Is that what it’s called?”I ask, not sure if I’ve heard the term before.

Isla nods.“Yeah, we should probably make it quick so we can both make it to class on time.”

Justas we’re about to film again, my phone rings, and I glance at the screen. It’s my mom. I pause for a second, then look at Isla.

“Give me a minute?”I say, already stepping away to take the call. I don’t wait for a response from Isla as I answer the call.“Hey, Mom. What’s up?”

There’s a brief pause on the other end, and when she speaks, I can hear the strain in her voice.“Hey, sweetheart. How are you doing?”

I can tell she’s trying to put off what she wants to say to me, which means it’s not good.“Pretty good. I’m about to go to class. How are things there?”

“Not good. I hate to bother you with this, but we’ve got a serious problem with the roof. There’s a leak, and it’s pretty bad. The contractor said it’s going to cost more than I can afford to get it fixed.”

I exhale what feels like all the air out of my lungs.“How bad is it?”

“It’s bad, honey. Water’s been getting into Avery’s room. We’ve tried to patch it up temporarily, but no dice. The contractor says we should just replace the entire roof. I knew I would have to do it because of its age, but it deteriorated quicker than we thought.”

I close my eyes and shake my head.“Did he give you an estimate?”

“Yeah... It’s going to be around nine grand, Asher. I... I don’t know how we’re going to swing it.”

I run a hand through my hair, pulling on it as if it will lead to us finding money to pay for it. I have some funds available, but throwing this much down will make things tight for us.“And this isn’t something that we can charge to…I don’t know, like insurance or something?”

Mom sighs on the other end of the line.“No, our insurance won’t cover it. They say it’s normal wear and tear, not damage from a specific event. I’ve been trying to figure out a way, but...”Her voice trails off as if she doesn’t know what else to say.

I glance over at Isla, who’s trying to look occupied with her camera, but I wonder if she can hear what I’m saying. She meets my gaze, then quickly looks away, pretending to adjust the settings on her camera.

“Listen, Mom,”I say, keeping my voice low.“I’ve saved some money from those NIL deals I did. It’s not a ton, but it should be enough to cover the roof repairs. I’ll transfer it to you tonight, okay?”

“Oh, Asher, I hate to ask you for this. You work so hard for that money, and?—”

“Mom, it’s fine,”I cut her off gently.“This is what the money is for. You and Avery need the money more than I do right now. Take it.”

There’s a moment of silence, and I can practically hear her fighting with herself to accept the help. Finally, she speaks.“Thank you, sweetheart. I don’t know what we’d do without you.”

“We both know you’d figure out some way to make it work. But you don’t have to. I’m happy to help.”

“Thank you. Thank you so much. You know how much I hate asking you?—”

I stop her before she starts crying because I can already hear the emotion in her voice.“I love you, Mom,”I say, my voice softening.“Everything’s going to be okay.”

“I love you too, Asher. More than you know.”

We say our goodbyes, and I hang up the phone. I turn back to Isla, who’s watching me. She’s put the camera away, and I’m grateful for her discretion.

“Everything alright?”she asks gently.

“Yeah, just some family stuff. Nothing to worry about.”

Isla doesn’t push, but the look she gives me tells me she knows I’m not telling the full truth.“Okay. If you ever need to talk, though, I’m here.”

Her words catch me off guard. Why would she want to lend an ear to my shit after everything I’ve done to her?“Thanks, Isla. I appreciate that.”

And I mean every word.

“No worries.”

I glance at my phone, realizing we’re both going to be late for class if we don’t get moving.“We should probably get going.”

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