T
ess sipped her wine and felt Maggie’s eyes on her. It was strange to be alone with Maggie in the house. They barely knew one another. But she was glad that Cap was still in his workshop. She didn’t know why exactly, but she felt more comfortable opening up to another woman.
They sat in silence. Both drinking their wine. Tess peered at her notebook on the coffee table but seemed hesitant to pick it up.
“It’s okay, Tess. You can tell me anything you want.”
Tess’s hand trembled as she picked up her notebook and began to write.
Before she climbed into bed, before she picked out her favorite book, Where the Wild Things Are, and before arranging her collection of stuffed animals—Harry the Hippo, Wolfie, Orangie, and the Three Teddies—Tess made sure that the closet light was on, the door
