The School Bus Driver Told Me to Check My Son’s Bag—Inside Was a $48,000 Receipt and the First Clue to My Husband’s Ohio Plan

I watched the taillights until the trees hid them, then turned back toward Ethan.

The road was quiet afterward.

I did not mistake that quiet for a promise that nothing difficult would ever happen again.

I had numbers to call, papers in order, and a son beside me.

Those were real things.

I could begin with them.

EPILOGUE — A Backpack Full of School Things

The next morning, Ethan drew our house at the kitchen table.