Lily’s gray hoodie still hung over the back of her desk chair. Her pink sneakers remained by the door, toes turned inward like she had kicked them off in a hurry and would burst back inside saying, “Mom, don’t be mad, but…”
But she never returned.
The days melted together. I stopped looking at clocks and stopped answering my phone. The world outside my apartment kept spinning, but mine stood still.
Then, one Tuesday morning, my phone rang.
I stared at it for a long moment before finally answering. I almost let it go to voicemail until I noticed it was Lily’s middle school calling. A ridiculous flicker of hope hit me as I picked up.
“Mrs. Carter?” a woman said softly. “This is Ms. Holloway, Lily’s English teacher. I’m sorry to call like this, but… we need you to come to the school.”
My knees nearly buckled.
“Why?”
