Alicia lost her professional voice and became the bossy younger sister. “Go to a hotel! Get one with a restaurant, and stay there for as long as this lasts.”

“Dad needs—”

“He’s fine. I talked to him. I told him to go to the grocery store immediately and stock up on things, especially frozen foods.”

“I filled the freezer before I left,” Etta said. “There isn’t room for more.”

“Then he can get toothpaste and toilet paper. Whatever. The point is that he can take care of himself. It’s you I’m worried about. Who are you going to take care of?”

Etta laughed. “I’ll find a hotel with a spa and get massages and facials. It’ll be nice.”

“I hope so. I’m going online now to try to find a place for you to stay. You do the same and call me.”

“Sure,” Etta said and they clicked off.

There was an older woman standing next to her and she turned to Etta. “I didn’t mean to eavesdrop but you should know that all the cars have been rented. My granddaughter is picking me up and taking me home. I can give you a ride into Kansas City. You can get a hotel there.”

“Thank you. I’ll call for a reservation.”

“Uh oh. I have to go now.” There was urgency in her voice. She waved to a young, frowning woman who was hurrying toward them. “Sorry, but Rachel has never had any patience. Not even as a child.” She straightened her shoulders as though preparing for a battle and faced her granddaughter. “We’re going to give this woman a ride to a hotel.”

“I’ll just get my suitcase,” Etta said.

The young woman looked Etta up and down as though she was the carrier of the disease. “We don’t have room for another suitcase.”

For the first time, Etta realized the seriousness of what was happening. If California had been shut down, how long before the other states followed? People around them were now moving quickly and a sense of panic was filling the air. Was she going to miss an opportunity to get transportation because of a suitcase? She had her roller bag and her laptop so she’d be fine. “Doesn’t matter,” Etta said. “I’m ready to go.”

“We can’t—” the woman began.

“Rachel, please,” her grandmother said.

Reluctantly, with a look of suspicion, the woman gave a curt nod. “You’ll sit in the back.”

“Glad it’s not in the trunk,” Etta mumbled and followed them outside. She didn’t say anything on the ride. She didn’t even ask if where they were going had any nearby hotels.

Outside, the buildings became taller. It looked like they were going into the city. Good. There’d be more places to stay.