“Tyler and Gwen are the ones who turned in the roster,” I said.

“They had no business leaving off students who spent four years in those classrooms.”

Evan gave a low, dry smile with no warmth in it at all.

“Some invitations get forgotten on purpose, Mom,” he said.

“You spent four years in those halls,” I said again.

“And I left ten years ago,” Evan said, his voice low and clipped.

“Then why come back to Oak Ridge two weeks early?” I asked.

“Because there’s work to do here that has nothing to do with Tyler Vance,” Evan said.