at work: Your mother took Leo out of school. She’s not answering. Do you know anything about this?
He called me back within seconds. “What do you mean she took him out of school?”
“She told them there was a family emergency.”
“There’s no emergency. Where is she?”
“I don’t know. She won’t answer.”
Mark’s voice went tight. “I’m leaving work now. Call me the second she shows up.”
An hour passed. Then another. I sat beside the front window with my phone in my hand, staring at the driveway so hard my eyes hurt.
Lily kept asking where Leo was. I kept telling her he’d be home soon.
But I didn’t believe it.
When Brenda finally pulled into the driveway at 2:30, I was outside before she even turned off the engine.
Leo climbed out of the back seat crying. He had something small and golden clenched in
