It was not a diagnosis or a consequence she attributed to my absence.

It was simply something I needed to learn about this individual child.

I began noticing Hannah’s exhaustion, too.

She carried spare clothes, snacks, wipes, a tiny first-aid kit, and all the mental calculations of two young lives.

She had done it alone for years while I crossed continents in private aircraft.

“Can I take some of that?” I asked as we reached the parking lot.

She handed me a bag.