I quickly tucked away the scattered papers and composed myself.

Alice would be home, and she mustn’t suspect anything was wrong.

As my granddaughter bounded through the door, backpack swinging, I greeted her with a genuine smile.

Whatever was happening with her parents, Alice was innocent.

She was also, I was beginning to realize, my most important consideration in whatever came next.

“How was school, sweetheart?” I asked, helping her with her jacket.