Would he come here? Follow them? The way her mother looked over her shoulder, scanning the faces of the people behind her, told her yes. The man at the ticket counter took his time, his fingers hitting the keys like fat sausages, and then, suddenly, Lorraine had two tickets in her hands. They didn’t speak as they made their way forward, still arm in arm. Her mother’s braid had come loose, and her hair cascaded around her shoulders. When her mother caught her looking toward the bathrooms, she said, “Go. I’ll wait here.”

Summer stood in line for the bathroom, biting her thumbnail. Her mother stood a few feet away, watching the board with the arrivals and departures. The line wasn’t moving very quickly; in front of her, an old lady with glasses was complaining about the terrible facilities to her friend. A toilet flushed; the line moved forward. Summer stood just inside the bathroom doors now. A mother was in line behind her, trying to wrangle her toddler, who was bouncing from foot to foot, saying he was going to pee his pants. When a stall opened, she let the mother go ahead of her.

Summer washed her hands, thinking about her grandparents’ house. Her mother said they had a porch swing facing the sunset. They hadn’t spoken about any of the details yet, but she imagined she’d be allowed to go to a real school. Her mother would get a job, and Summer would see her every day. She felt the start of something sparking in her belly. Excitement? No...maybe hope. Things were about to get better.

Summer dried off her hands and left the bathroom, noticing that the line had doubled since she’d been in it. Her backpack was heavy, and she wanted to sit down and not think about anything. She wanted to sleep. When she walked over to the board where she’d left her mother, a new line of people stood staring up at the screen. She spun on her heels, checking the line of chairs against the wall, and then the bathroom line. Deciding her mother had probably gotten into line behind her and was now in a bathroom stall, Summer took a seat.