“Want to jump in the shower with me real fast before school?”

“Will you come with me?” Cami said.

“To school?”

Cami nodded.

“Sure, honey.”

“I can keep doing this,” Kaito said, pointing his nose toward the sink.

“Okay,” Izabel said. “Keep the water hot.”

In the shower, Cami held a washcloth over her face so that water didn’t get in her eyes, like she always did.

“Look up,” Izabel said. “It won’t go in your eyes if you look up.”

When the washcloth got too soaked, she handed it back to Izabel with her face crinkled up. Izabel wrung it out and handed it back to her.

When Cami was clean, she slapped the wall with her washcloth and laughed when it splashed back at her.

Izabel went over her own body and got rid of every mark of blood.

By the time they were dressed again, their teeth brushed, breakfast eaten, Kaito had finished with the sheets and clothes and gotten them into the washing machine. He kissed them at the door.

When the car arrived, Izabel and Cami put on their masks, went out the first set of doors, and waited for them to close behind them before going out the next. Outside, Izabel heard the burst of air in the small room. They walked quickly to the car.

On this ride, the car in front of them had a child in it, also going to school. How Cami must look sometimes, when she rode to school by herself. The light turned green in their car and Izabel and Cami lowered their masks.

The little boy was playing a game with his hands. Cami was looking out at the trees again, but Izabel watched the boy. It looked like one of his hands was attacking the other. And the other was taking it.

At the school, Izabel and Cami’s car stopped behind the child’s, but their car stayed locked. It would only unlock at the designated spot, the one in line with the door, the shortest distance to the dome of the school.

The boy got out of his car and started to run in. Halfway there he tripped and fell forward, catching himself with his hands. Then he looked at his hands and panicked at the blood. He tried to wipe it away on his pants. He’s taking too long, Izabel thought.

Izabel tried to open the car door with the button, but it didn’t work. She banged on the window and tried the door’s manual handle, but it wouldn’t unlock. The boy looked back at her. Finally, their car slid into the designated spot and on one of her attempts, the door flew open.

“Mom!” Cami screamed.

Izabel looked back and Cami’s mask was off. That’s when Izabel realized hers was off, too. She slammed the door closed again and reached for Cami’s mask.