He didn’t need another question every time the phone lit up.

If he wanted to tell me more, there was room for it.

Later that morning, I met Marlene at the Cedar Ridge diner while Noah was with the trusted person arranged under our plan.

I had given the contact details and return time.

Taking an hour for breakfast wasn’t abandoning my role as his mother.

It felt strange anyway.

The bill for the simple breakfast order was eight dollars and seventy-five cents.

I noticed the amount because I had been keeping receipts for days, then left the slip alone until we finished.