“Raj lifted a finger and the front door shut behind him. With hollow steps he entered the kitchen. Inside, his dad sat at a fold-out table for two sipping from his bottomless cocktail. It was hard to breathe through all the smoke. The ashtray on the table was already full, a book of matches tossed beside it. His dad coughed before asking, “How was school?” Raj shrugged. “Same old.” “You stay out of trouble?”
