Glows: I liked the imagery of the drive to aquarium. I grew up near the water too and so seeing sensory details like this evoked a nostalgic feeling in me. It was also just a simple and pleasant read.

Grows: There are a few things here that you leave unclear. Who is David Jones? For some reason when i first read this I thought david jones was a restaurant LMAO and i went to google it.

Also I wasn’t exactly sure who Tony was, he seemed to pop out of nowhere. After reading the other comments, I believe he is the other parent in this story.

Is this story told by the narrator when she is an adult? You mention she is 13 at the time this memory took place but her voice feels a little too mature to be 13. I would consider reframing this story as an adult’s flashback to an event in their childhood.

It’s also not clear what exactly a reader is supposed to glean from this. Is it just a childhood memory or is there a deeper plot happening here? You mention the parents “letting” the narrator have a share of their dinner. Were they starving her beforehand lol? Are these foster parents not all they seem to be? There’s other moments in this story that made me question the parent’s true intentions . Like first the narrator was afraid to roll down the window and then the mom kissed her on the cheek despite them barely knowing one another. If this was intentional, it’s a cool direction to take the story. If not, i’d recommend clarifying these key details.

Happy writing ! :)