In her right arm she hugged a gray stuffed rabbit with a twisted left ear.

“Emily,” Thomas said, his voice sinking into a flat, hard baritone.

“Go back to your room this minute and shut that door.”

The girl didn’t move back.

Her small fingers twisted the frayed wool on the rabbit’s ear, turning the fabric round and round in a tight little circle.

“Hi, Emily,” María said, taking two slow steps toward the newel post at the bottom of the stairs.

“My name’s María.