Dead Broke

Tara and Justin had moved to Los Angeles more or less on a lark. They were nineteen. They had worked fast food jobs in their small Pennsylvania town and eventually scraped up enough for two Greyhound tickets.
Unlike others who migrated to California before them they had only vague ideas of what they wanted to do there. There were no dreams of movie stardom or becoming a rock God. All they knew about LA was that the sun shined all the time and there was a beach there.
After two years they were living in a studio apartment in North Hollywood. Tara supported herself by working temp jobs, telemarketing jobs, and waitressing. Justin spent most of his time watching TV and smoking pot.
Christmas was approaching and Tara was dead ass broke. She couldn't even afford Christmas gifts for her young niece in Sharon, Pennsylvania. Her parents said they understood. Tara was sure four-year old Megan would not.
Two weeks before Christmas,she got off the bus and headed home. Her car was not running again and she couldn't afford gas for it anyway. She had just paid the rent and the gas bill. The cable had already been shut off.
She stopped at Ralph's Supermarket to cash in a jar of pennies. This was what she was reduced to now. She collected a huge windfall of nine dollars and twelve cents!
She went home and feasted on a fabulous dinner of Ramen noodles and grilled cheese. Justin was not home and she was enjoying the peace and quiet.
She went through the mail. It consisted mainly of bills, and Christmas cards from relatives back in PA. There was a card from her parents. She tore that one open first.

HI Honey
We miss you and we want you home for the holidays. Megan asks constantly if you are coming home. Enclosed is a check for two-hundred fifty dollars for a one way plane ticket. We will figure out the return when you get here.

Love MOM and DAD

Tara almost cried. She was lucky to have such a wonderful, supportive family. She took the check and put it in her wallet so that Justin would not find it.
She would be going home for Christmas after all. The only problem was she wasn't sure she'd be coming back.