I sat silently, already knowing where this was going.

“The thing is,” Cassandra interjected, “we’ve calculated everything. Even with Eric’s salary and Mom helping with the down payment, we’re still short.”

“Short for what?” I asked, though I already knew.

“We need to use your college fund,” Mom stated flatly. “It’s not like you don’t have scholarships already. And community college is perfectly respectable. You can transfer later when things aren’t so tight for the family.”

My college fund—the money Dad had started before the divorce, the money Mom had promised was untouched. The fund I was counting on to cover what scholarships wouldn’t.

“But that’s my money,” I said quietly. “Dad set it aside for my education.”

Cassandra rolled her eyes. “Don’t be selfish, Hazel. We’re talking about a home for your niece and nephews. Where are they supposed to sleep? Should Benjamin live in a closet because you want to attend some fancy university?”