Now I had a crucial reason to return.

I waited until all my daughters were awake, dressed, and safely settled at school for the day.

Daisy had practically begged me to let her come along, but I insisted on handling this on my own and promised to call her before her lunch break.

I drove through a chilly gray morning, gripping the steering wheel so tightly that my knuckles turned white.

The mountain peaks loomed ahead of me, dark and intimidating beneath a thick blanket of low clouds.