“Dad,” said Licia. She was on her feet again, stepping toward me, and I was crying and laughing too, and brushing a stray hair from her eyes. She smiled—the most heartbreaking of smiles—and I threw my arms around her, lifted her from the floor.

“Jesus,” I said. “You must have grown four inches.”

“I guess. Again, no need to blaspheme.”

I set Licia carefully down on the floor. “You’re taller than your mother.” I turned to look at Elsa. “I think.”

Elsa was not laughing. She sent me a look that I could not read.

“What happened?” I said. “Licia, what happened to you?”

Licia turned to face Elsa. “Hello, Mum.”

“Dad asked you a question.” Vee was looking at her sister. Her eyes narrowed. “What did happen to you?”

“Hello, Mum,” said Licia again. “I’ve come home.” She stepped toward Elsa.

Elsa reached out, took Licia’s hands in hers. Halfway to embracing they stopped, the air between them electric. Elsa’s eyes sparked and flashed. I saw the tears that welled there, after all those months of strangulated fear, the long, hard battle against despair.

“Oh, Licia,” said Elsa. “Licia, my sweetest child, where have you been?”

“Safe with friends.”

Elsa drew away slightly, searching Licia’s eyes.

“What friends? What happened, Licia?”

“Yeah, what kind of friends stop you from coming home?” said Vee. “Do you have any idea what it’s been like here?”

“And I do want to talk about that,” said Licia, still looking at her mother. “And why I really couldn’t contact you. Only please don’t ask me. Not yet.”

“Why not?” said Vee.

Licia turned to her. “I’ve been safe,” she said.

“What, like safe as in chained-to-a-pipe safe, or safe as in I-fell-in-love-with-my-captor safe?”

“Very, very safe.” But she stammered as she spoke the words.

“Don’t worry,” said Vee. “Not an actual real question.”

Licia laughed, relieved.

Vee smiled. “You hungry?” she said.

“So hungry!”

Vee disappeared from the room.

“So,” said Elsa, “where have you been, Licia?”

I said, “Who were you with?”

“What did they do to you?” said Elsa.

“It’s the same questions again,” said Licia. “Why are you asking me all the same questions?”

“Because we all thought you were dead.” Vee was back, standing in the doorframe, eyes blazing.

“Vee,” I said, “go get your sister some food.”

“Sure,” said Vee. She began to turn. “Although . . .” She stopped. “I mean, at the start Dad and I both thought you were coming back. Mum never did, though . . .”

Licia looked stricken.

“Vee,” I said.

“All right,” said Vee, and headed for the kitchen.

Licia turned to Elsa. “There’s so much I want to tell you, Mum, and I really promise I will. But this is . . . it’s a lot . . .”

I could hear Vee in the kitchen, rummaging in drawers and cupboards, opening the fridge.