The drive back home was quiet. Ava had fallen asleep in the back seat, her small body curled up, wrapped in my jacket, her face still stained with tears. I glanced at the rearview mirror again and again, needing to make sure she was really there. Breathing. Safe.
I pulled into the driveway and killed the engine.
The porch light was on. Before I even reached the front door, I rang the bell once.
It opened in less than two seconds.
“AVA!” Evelyn’s voice cracked the air like lightning. She rushed out barefoot, eyes wide, a hand clutched over her mouth as if she was seeing a ghost.
She grabbed Ava from my arms, holding her close like she could absorb her into her chest. Her fingers ran through Ava’s hair. She kissed her forehead, her cheek, and cradled her like a mother desperate to convi
