Chapter 4

Before I could ask how she knew my name, she looked past me into the house.

“I’m Claire,” she said.

She paused, as if waiting for the name to mean something.

“Lily’s mother.”

Footsteps sounded upstairs.

Lily ran to the middle of the staircase, saw the woman at the door, and froze.

Claire opened her arms.

“Sweetheart, Mommy’s home.”

Lily didn’t run to her.

She came downstairs slowly, stopped beside me, and grabbed my hand.

Claire’s smile faded.

Daniel immediately tried to explain.

“She’s just shy.”

I looked down at Lily’s pale face, then at the two suitcases by the…