"Ren."
Ren looked up from his plate, startled out of his thoughts. Across the table, his mother's soft brown eyes were studying him with quiet concern.
"Yeah?"
"Is something the matter?" Helen asked, setting down her fork. "You've been quiet since you came for breakfast. Is something on your mind?"
Ren shook his head, forcing the corners of his lips into something resembling a smile. The tight frown on his face loosened a little. "Just school problems and some stuff in the game. The first exams are coming up."
From behind the newspaper, his father grunted. The paper rustled loudly as Troy flipped a page. "Don't worry too much about grades. As long as you pass and get that diploma, that's enough. You don't have to kill yourself over it."
He lowered the paper slightly and added, "As for that game you play… don't push yourself too much either. Your mother and I are old; we don't need much. Just food and a roof—"
"And medicine," Helen interrupted.
