The front door slammed open. Caroline rushed in wearing a hip-hop coat, carrying two bags of fruit. Her face was frozen bright red. Behind her trailed a man with bleached yellow hair.
Mom's expression transformed instantly. She released me and kicked the bank card across the floor.
"Oh, my sweetheart! It's so cold—why are you wearing so little? Get inside!"
Caroline tossed the fruit onto the shoe cabinet without glancing at me and threw herself into Mom's arms.
"Mom, I missed you to death! I came back to spend the New Year with you guys." She gestured behind her. "This is Dylan. He does music—super talented!"
Dylan grinned, flashing a mouthful of yellow teeth. "Hello, Auntie. Came in a hurry, didn't bring any gifts. How about I sing you a song?"
I stood in the living room, blood running down my face, gripping the bank card that had been stepped on and cracked. Across the room, the whole family fussed over warmth and cold. No one asked about my injury. No one even looked at the card.
At dinner, Mom kept piling braised pork into Caroline's bowl until it formed a little mountain.
"Eat more. Look how skinny you got out there." She nodded at Dylan. "You too."