9
Katie’s two black garbage bags lay on the ground next to her feet. She stood in front of Zoe’s pink two-story house, complete with black and pink polka-dotted shutters. Katie knew she should come up with something nice to say about the house, like how bright and cheerful it was, but she couldn’t quite get the words to come out. “Your place has a lot of character,” she finally managed.
Zoe laughed. “I know, it’s a little much. But it’s my happy place.”
“I can’t thank you enough,” Katie said. “You’re a real lifesaver. This week has been insane, and I don’t know what I would have done without you and the mayor.”
“Well, we couldn’t have a visitor end up in the homeless camp. What would you have told your friends?”
Katie’s stomach churned. She knew Zoe was teasing her, but it struck a so
