Meanwhile, Harper asked why Uncle Spencer hadn’t called.

She did not ask with fear or suspicion.

She was worried she’d forgotten to thank him for a pack of stickers he’d once bought her.

I struggled for words.

Finally I told her that Spencer would not be picking her up again and that adults were working through some serious concerns.

“Did I do something wrong?” she asked.

My heart twisted.

“No,” I told her, keeping my voice as level as I could.