Emily couldn’t pin the tone. Definitely curious, but also wary, maybe. “It’s a girl. Her name’s Teddy. She’s . . . a bit younger than me. She likes bears.”

“That sounds wonderful! How did you meet?”

“Uh, it was in my dorm. She just kind of showed up and, um . . .” Emily thought fast. “She ate my doughnuts?”

There was a snort on the other end of the line. “That’s certainly one way to make a friend. I hope she’s good for you.”

“Yeah. A-anyway, I have a thing I need to do,” Emily said. “I just wanted to talk a bit before that.”

“Busy already? I understand. You be careful, okay, sweetie? I know you’re not the sort of girl to get herself into any kind of trouble, but try to be careful anyway.”

“Yes, Mom. I love you.”

“I love you too” was the quick reply. “Should I tell your dad that you love him, too, or did I finally win the best parent award?”

Emily giggled; she couldn’t help herself. In just a minute or two, her mom had soothed the worst of her fears away. “Tell Dad that I love him too,” she said.

“I will. You stay safe. If you need anything, I’m always there, okay?”

“Thanks. Bye, Mom.”

“Bye, sweetie.”

Emily clicked the call end button and let her arm drop onto her desk. Her room was quiet except for faint background noises, the kinds of things that were easy to ignore, like the thumping of someone’s feet padding across the floor above her or the faint whistly snores coming from her bed.

She looked at the time on her phone and winced. It was nearly three already. She had to move.

The day had been a hazy mess—classes passing without notice, her attention drifting from the moment she’d woken up.

“Teddy,” Emily said as she drifted over to her . . . summon, sister, henchgirl? She wasn’t sure what terminology to use just yet. “Teddy, wake up, please.”

The little bear girl blinked awake and pulled her head off Emily’s pillow, though she did stay connected to it via a nice line of drool. “Huh? Boss?”

Emily nodded. “We need to head out soon,” she said.

“Now?” Teddy asked.

“It’s nearly three p.m. You’re still in your pj’s, so that means you must have slept since . . . seven last night. Do you really want to stay in bed ever more?”

“I got up,” Teddy said. “I had to pee.”

Emily figured that that explained how she got from the floor to Emily’s bed. “Well, I might need your help today,” Emily said.