Therese replayed the look—the intensity—in Tim’s eyes over and over in her head, and she knew that is where he tucked away the anger he usually kept hidden in the shed. Had he finally lost control of what he’d been holding back? Had she pushed him too far? Had he allowed himself to hurt Matilda? And what was Barbara apologizing for? She wasn’t sure what the truth was anymore, and it didn’t really matter because, in the end, he had made his choice. Matilda was staring at her, waiting for her.

“It’s going to be okay, Matilda. I will always take care of you. You and Franny.”

She hadn’t realized Matilda was barefoot. She watched as her daughter extended her foot into the basket and saw the little baby inside reach for her toe.

She didn’t know why she did it. Maybe because she could not think of anything else to do. But she started telling Matilda about the wonderful life they were going to have. At first she stumbled, but then it became easy, like she was reading lines from a script. And once she finished, she made sure that Matilda understood that everything was going to be just fine. She drove for hours, making sure that Matilda believed.

And then, eventually, she believed herself.

Matilda

The bus pulled into a gas station. People got off to stretch their legs, but I didn’t. I stared out the window, watching a woman pump gas. What if I slid into her backseat, told her I was an orphan, and had nowhere to go? The woman slipped the nozzle back into the slot, got into her car, and drove off.

I rolled my sweatshirt into a ball and tucked it into the side of the window and then dug inside my backpack and found the envelope Daryl had given me. Three twenty-dollar bills and a screwdriver wrapped neatly into one of his drawings. A superhero with dark, straight hair that looked oddly familiar.

The bus started up again and I leaned against the window, the vibrations shimmering through the glass, making my nose itch. I sunk into the hum of the engine and felt temporary relief. The bus hurtled forward and I pretended it was taking me somewhere exotic—that when I got off I would be greeted by pretty brown women placing flowered necklaces around my neck.

The bus stopped.

Stillness surrounded me. The need to move pounded inside and I dug my fingernails into the armrest.

“Go,” I whispered, my breath forming a circle of vapor that almost immediately disappeared. As if on command, the wheels began to turn and again we were pushing forward. I leaned back, this time falling into a half sleep. I tried to focus, but my thoughts became muddled, so I closed my eyes, grateful to disappear inside the lull of the roar.

Therese

The truth was that she had grown to love Franny.