Caleb bounced from one bed to the other until exhaustion finally caught him mid-leap and folded him up.

Sadie checked the deadbolt twice before she sat down by the window.

“Did Grandma make us leave because we were bad at her house?”

I sat down beside her, and I made myself not reach for the easy, comforting lie.

“No, baby. Your grandparents made a decision that hurt us because they wanted to control what I did next. But none of you caused it. Not one bit of it.”

She turned that over.