The sun was beginning its slow descent, painting the sky in faded strokes of gold and lavender. A soft breeze rustled the leaves, and the house stood still, quiet, almost bracing for impact.
Then the sleek black SUV pulled into the driveway.
Isabelle hadn’t said a word the last half hour of the drive. She’d stared out the window as the familiar streets came into view—each stop sign, each corner, another step closer to the life she’d tried to escape for two days, only to find herself missing parts of it in ways she hadn’t expected.
The second the car stopped, the front door burst open.
“Mommy!” Amelia’s voice rang out, high and delighted. She tore across the porch barefoot, curls flying.
Eliott trailed behind her, grinning wide. “You’re back! You’re back!”
Isabelle stepped out of the
