The four of us-Dad, Mom, Sangmoon, and I- sat around the kitchen table, where we had been sitting for at least three hours, laughing and joking more than we had in my entire eighteen years of life. My mom had called in sick to work, and the leftover candy from my birthday was spread across the table, like a colorful centerpiece. I wasn't sure if we were high on sugar or life. We'd started a game called What Would You Buy with Fifty Million Dollars? The rules were self-explanatory. The answers had started off normal (planes, cars, houses) but had dissolved into ridiculous (scary clowns, abandoned ghost towns, a life-sized statue of each of us).

"How much do you think it would cost to rent a celebrity for the day?" Mom asked.

"It depends on which one," Dad said.

I laughed. "I'm sure they don't rent themselves out for the day."

"I would. If I were a celebrity," Sangmoon said. "My going rate would be ten million dollars."

"Nobody would pay ten million dollars to spend a day with you," I said.

He threw a sour Skittle at my head. "That's how much I'm going to charge you now that you can afford it."

"I'll give you ten dollars for the day."

"Deal." 

I laughed.

My mom suddenly became serious. "What would you buy, Suzy? You haven't really said."

Hadn't I? I thought back, but really, it had all been hem throwing out ideas. "College," I said. "I'm going to pay for college." I didn't have to worry about getting a scholarship now. My smile spread so big that my cheeks hurt.

"Boring," Sangmoon said. "At least buy a plane to get you there." 

"This is Suzy's money. Not ours," Mom said, still serious. "She gets to choose how to spend it."

"Yes, of course it is," Dad said. "And based on all of our answers, I think the right person won this money."

Sangmoon gave an exaggerated eye roll and ate one last handful of candy before standing up. 'I guess that means it's bedtime."

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

The next day, an excited buzz still ran through my house. I had barely slept; I'd kept waking up every hour, thinking it was all a dream. In the morning, my parents let me stay home from school and Mom took off from work so she and Dad could take me to the lottery office. There, we turned in my ticket and filled out forms. I picked the "lump sum" payment option. The office said it might take a taken or two to get my money. After taxes, it would come to a little more than thirty million dollars. More money than I knew what to do with.

On the ride home, I cleared my throat. "I know you said this was my money and not yours, but I want to give you guys each a million dollars. And Sangmoon, too. And I want to pay off the house and Sangmoon's student loans so he doesn't have to worry about trying to find a job while finishing college."

Dad glanced at me in the rearview mirror and Mom turned around in the passenger seat.

"Honey, maybe you should talk to a financial advisor, figure out exactly what you need to do before you give any away," Mom said. 

"Either way, I know I want to do at least that much. You'll let me, right?"

"Let you?" Dad said. "You're eighteen now. It's your choice."

"Well, that's what I want."

My mom reached back for my hand. I took hers and she squeezed. "That's very generous of you, Suzy," she said, sounding choked up.

"Yes, thank you," Dad said. "That will take a big burden off of us."

That's what I'd been hoping for.

"And Sangmoon, too. It will make a real difference in his life," Mom said.

I hoped so, because I felt like all our lives could use a big difference.

My mom turned back to face the road. She reach across the center console and put her hand on my dad's knee. He immediately took one hand off the wheel and placed it on top of hers. I smiled. That was already a very good start.

☘ 𝔏𝔬𝔱𝔱𝔬 𝔏𝔬𝔳𝔢 ☘

At home, I stood outside Sangmoon's door. It was after eleven o'clock in the morning, but he was probably still sleeping. I knocked quietly and there was no answer. I knocked again. When he still didn't answer, I turned the handle.

The door opened with a creak and I walked into near blackness. I flipped on the light and Sangmoon grunted and shaded his eyes. A bottle of cold medicine sat on his nightstand.

"Are you sick?" I asked.

He mumbled something unintelligible.

"Sangmoon." I shook his shoulder. "Wake up."

"What? What do you want?"

I picked up the cold medicine. There was only an inch of the purple liquid left at the bottom of the bid bottle. "Are you sick?" I asked again.

"What? No. It helps me sleep. Can you turn out the light?"

I did. "Can I talk to you?"

"Isn't that what you're doing?"

"Funny. Don't be a jerk or I might take back my gift."

"What gift?"

"Listen, I know what Mom said yesterday about this being my money and all . . ."

This had Sangmoon sitting up, rubbing his eyes.

"But I want to give you some. I want to give you a million dollars and pay off your loans."

Sangmoon's knees had been up, and he dropped his head onto them for a long time. I couldn't see his face but I hoped this reaction was happiness. The way his shoulders slightly shook, I thought he might've even been crying. But it was dark in his room and maybe my eyes were deceiving me because he when he finally looked up the only ting I saw on his face was smile.

"Suzy, thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

"I think I do. And I'm glad it will help. You can finish school now, right? Go back and be with your friends. You could even move into the dorms if you wanted."

He stood and pulled me into a hug. I returned it for a minute before I pushed him away. "You seriously need a shower."

He laughed and then tried to grab me again. I screamed and ran out of the room with him chasing after me. When he finally caught me and administered another hug, he said, "You're the best sister ever."

I smiled.

"But I really need to shower now."

A few minutes later, I sank onto my bed, my heart close to bursting. Maybe now I didn't need to worry so much about my family. My win would solve everything.