Alex was seventeen when the scholarship applications became his life.
He sat at the kitchen table every night after his shift at the corner store, books spread out under the dim lamp. Math problems, essay drafts, history notes. Sofia perched next to him, fifteen now but still his study buddy, quizzing him on vocab words with her own homework pushed aside.
"Define resilience," she said, reading from his flashcards.
Alex rubbed his eyes. "Bouncing back from tough stuff. Like us."
She grinned. "Right. Next one?"
Maria watched from the doorway, leaning on the frame after her double shift. Her feet ached, but she didn't sit. Seeing them like this made it worth it.
The coffee can was full these days, tucked away for emergencies. Alex had added jobs stocking shelves, tutoring kids after school. Enough to help with bills, enough to let Maria breathe a little.
But the scholarships were the big dream. Elite university, full ride. Get out, get a degree, come back and lift them all up.
It hadn't been easy. Alex was burning out working days, studying nights. Sofia saw it first.
One evening, she came home with a determined look and ten dollars in her pocket.
"Babysat for Mrs. Lopez," she said, dropping the money on the table. "And I told Mr. Gomez I'll take your bodega shifts on weekends. You need time for this."
Alex shook his head. "No, Sof. You're fifteen. School's your job."
She crossed her arms, eyes fierce. "And you're killing yourself. You started the can for me when I was sick. Let me do this for you. We're in it together, right?"
He hesitated, but her face said she wouldn't back down. Maria nodded from the kitchen. "Let her, mijo. She's strong like you."
So Sofia stepped up. Babysitting after class, helping at the bodega counter, even walking dogs for the old lady upstairs. She came home tired some days, but always with a smile and tips for the can, now relabeled FAMILY FUND in her handwriting.
It gave Alex the hours he needed. He dove into the essays, aced the practice tests. Sofia quizzed him relentlessly, highfiving when he got it right, making him tea when his voice got hoarse.
One night, after a long study session, she leaned her head on his shoulder. "You're gonna make it, Alec. And when you do, I'll be right behind you."
He wrapped an arm around her. "Deal. But don't push too hard, okay? I got you too."
She laughed soft. "I know. That's why we're unbeatable."
Maria slid a plate of rice and beans next to his books. "Eat something, mijo. Can't study on empty."
He took a bite, but his mind was on the essay prompt: "Describe a challenge you've overcome."
He wrote about the eviction scare two years back, how they scraped together the rent, how it taught him nothing was given. But he didn't mention the darker stuff. The man who'd hurt Mom, left her with Sofia. The nights she'd cried when she thought they were asleep.
Maria had told him a little last year, when he asked why Sofia's dad wasn't around.
"He didn't care about no," she'd said, voice steady but eyes far. "But I chose to keep her. She's ours."
Alex nodded then, anger hot in his chest. It fueled him now. He'd make sure they never struggled like that again.
Sofia yawned, closing the flashcards. "You're gonna get it, Alec. I know."
He ruffled her hair. "Thanks to you, kid. Now finish your own stuff."
After she left, Maria sat across from him.
"You're doing good," she said. "Better than I ever could."
Alex looked up. "You did everything, Mom."
She smiled faint. "Just promise me you'll get that degree. Change things."
He nodded. "I will."
That night, he finished the essay, hit submit on three applications. The can sat under his bed, a reminder.
They'd make it out.
All of them.