"They pulled out their youngest son's college acceptance letter. It should have been a happy moment, but they could only sigh as they looked at the tuition figures."
"They were running the numbers."
"They were trying to figure out if they could still afford the electric bill next month if they had to buy Old Smith his arthritis medication."
"They were calculating whether they'd lose the house they've lived in for half a lifetime if Mary got sick and couldn't work, defaulting on their mortgage."
Murphy looked up, a slight tremble in his voice.
"At that dinner table, what I saw wasn't anger, nor was it resentment."
"What I saw was fear."
"A deep, lingering fear."
"They worked hard their entire lives, followed the law, paid their taxes on time, and raised their children."
"They did everything this country asked them to do."
"But now, they find they've lost even the most basic sense of security."
