She straightened her back, turned on her heel, and walked briskly to the third chair in the empty row.

She sat down hard on the blue vinyl seat, pulling her heavy leather bag onto her lap like a barricade.

Ethan walked back to the chair beside mine and sat down, his knees trembling a little as he lowered himself onto the vinyl.

He didn’t look back toward the front doors or at his mother sitting three chairs away.

He reached across the armrest between us and laid his right hand flat on June’s back.

His fingers were shaking slightly, but he kept his hand pressed firmly against her yellow onesie, a steady, warm weight on her spine.