Bonnie spent Christmas at her parents’ house. It was quiet, and the food was delicious, and the scent of pine trees calmed her soul. She’d loved roaming the forests surrounding Island Park as a child, and she yearned for summer when she could go hiking again.
“How’s school?” her mom asked.
“Great.” Bonnie smiled at her mom. “How’s Dad feeling?” She eyed her father, who had retreated to the recliner in the adjacent living room as soon as dinner had ended. Sitting through the thirty-minute meal had seemed to drain him completely.
“He’s tired.” Mom wiped the dining table they hardly ever used as Bonnie took the last of the dishes into the kitchen. Worry wormed through her as she loaded the dishwasher and helped put away the leftover ham and scalloped potatoes.
She kept her thoughts silent
