She didn’t look back at the porch steps, at Lily, or at Mark standing silently beside the screen.

“Rob, get in the car,” Vanessa said.

Rob shoved his keys into the ignition, dropped into the driver’s seat, and slammed his door before he’d even checked the side mirror.

I bent down and scooped Lily up into my arms, holding her little body tight against my chest and wrapping her blanket around her back.

The gravel crunched hard under the wide tires as Rob floored the gas and swung out into the lane.

The car took the corner too fast, its tires letting out a sharp squeal on the cold pavement at the end of the block.