The day I arrived at my grandparents' house, my aunt made her feelings perfectly clear.
"His own parents can't be bothered to raise him, and now they dump the kid on us!"
Uncle Galloway glanced at me once, said nothing, and walked back inside.
I carried my backpack to the eaves of my grandparents' cottage, crouched down, and started drawing and writing on my own.
They didn't want me here. But my father sent money every month.
So they wouldn't starve me, and they wouldn't let me freeze.
This time, I wasn't going to cry myself to sleep every night, begging for parents who would never come. I was going to take care of myself and build the strength to break free from all of them.
It wasn't until the sun sank behind the hills that Grandpa and Grandma Galloway came home from the fields.
They didn't recognize me, so I walked up to them first.
"Grandpa, Grandma. I'm Desi. I'm here to keep you company."
Grandma pulled me into her arms immediately, her weathered hands warm against my back. Grandpa's face split into a grin so wide it looked like it might never close. He ushered me inside and dug out a tin of cookies.