"Okay, kiddo. Just sound it out," Hosea said quietly, wrapping his arm around you and holding your fist. He ran your finger under a word he'd written out.

Cat.

"It's okay if you just take a second," He said, smiling and brushing your hair out of your face. He'd been trying to teach you how to read for the past few weeks, since you were almost eleven. So far you couldn't read much. But the other day you'd been able to read the word 'rice' on some of the food sacks so there was hope yet.