Shar and Darrell finally came home. They were wet and smelled like pond. Shar asked if I wanted to go to her bedroom and play dolls, but I said no because she always made the boy doll wiggle on top of the girl doll to grow babies. I stayed on the step with Chicken.

After a long time, I saw Mrs. Murtry’s car coming back into the circle. “She’s back,” I called out and Aunt Erma came to the door. She dropped her cigarette on the wood. Lines of smoke came off it. Gloria came up the stairs and Chicken wagged his tail.

“How was your drive?” Aunt Erma said.

“Good. I feel a little better.”

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Gloria didn’t say nothing about going to get her teeth shined. Out near Telly’s garage.

“I don’t know, Erm,” Gloria said. “Maybe it was just doing something regular? Since Rowan’s been missing, I can’t keep hold to anything. One minute I’m angry. One minute I’m broken in two. I don’t fit in my own skin.”

“Of course you don’t.”

“I just keep telling myself,” she said. “He’ll be back any second.”

“And he will.”

Gloria wiped her eyes. “Thank you for watching Maisy.”

“Anything I can do to help. That girl’s no trouble. I’d trade her for Shar in a heartbeat.” Aunt Erma laughed, but it was a joking laugh, not a mean one.

We walked home. I held Chicken’s rope, and Gloria put her arm on my shoulder. “You know, Bids, I learned something important these past couple of months. There’s too many bad people in the world. People who’ll steal from you. Want to hurt you.”

My mouth turned dry.

“Ever since he took off, I’ve been so shaky. Sometimes I wonder if it’s my fault. Sometimes I don’t even think any of this is real. I miss him so much, Bids, I feel like someone tore my heart right out.”

Then she stopped talking. I heard her gulp air, and I looked up. There was a small blue car in our driveway. And someone was on our front porch, sitting in Gloria’s special chair. She had curly grey hair and round glasses and dark under her eyes. I never seen her before.

“What—what do you think you’re doing here?”

“It was on the news, Gloria.”

“What?”

“About Rowan. I saw you and Telly.” Then she smiled at me. “And you must be Maisy.”

I went behind Gloria.

“Well, you can turn around and go back where you came from.”

The woman stood up. “Why didn’t you call me?”

“Why would I?”

“Because I’m your mother?”

When she said that, I had to grab onto the back of Gloria’s dress. I felt like someone cut a hole on top of my head and filled me up with cold water.