Their goal was simple.
Make reliable indoor air-quality monitoring affordable for schools that couldn't purchase expensive commercial systems.
They called their project Second Breath.
I asked why.
Owen shrugged.
“Because everybody deserves one.”
I looked at both boys.
And thought about every second chance we had been forced to create for ourselves.
The championship began promptly at nine.
I watched the twins disappear into the testing hall, their shoulders almost touching.
Across the room, Daniel stood near a table of refreshments with Vanessa and Mason.
Several parents gathered around them.
I overheard Daniel mention the name of a prestigious private academy and a robotics consultant from California.
Vanessa laughed beautifully at something another woman said.
She looked completely comfortable.
I wondered briefly what it must feel like to move through the world without checking your bank balance before ordering lunch.
Then I caught myself.
Wealth had never been the thing I resented most.
