The hum of the tires on the road was the only sound for a while. The sun had finally started dipping toward the treetops, casting long shadows across the road and bathing the car in soft, golden light.
Danielle sat in the back seat with Christina, her head resting against the window. Seth was driving. Connor sat up front, silent but alert, as always. The tension from earlier had dulled, but it hadn’t disappeared. It just hung lower in the air now, like the heat before a thunderstorm.
Danielle let out a breath and gave a soft, slightly tired laugh. “Well,” she muttered, “I guess we didn’t need the overnight bags after all.”
Seth glanced at her in the rearview mirror, a flicker of a smile pulling at the corner of his mouth. “You want to swing by Christina’s place? Pick up your stuff? Migh
