Outside, a biting cold wind slapped her face. Incoming gray clouds to the west confirmed the forecast for rain later in the day. From her jacket pocket, she grabbed her green stocking hat and pulled it on as she headed toward Bull’s Moose.

Paying for internet would be a hit to her cash, but she could afford a month. After that, with luck, the freelance research jobs would have picked up. Since she had to start over with a fake name, it was taking time to get a good reputation again. But if Spyros had people in the FBI, she couldn’t risk them tracing her real name through a PayPal, credit card, or bank account.

This staying hidden was sure tricky.

Even trickier was trying to socialize.

When Sarah switched from business to chatting, Audrey had…run like a coward. I can’t do that anymore. Unlike in Chicago, Rescue residents liked to stand around and talk. She couldn’t afford to stick out as a newcomer.

Somehow, someway, she’d have to learn to be comfortable with people. She could do it. She would.

So…she smiled at the next two people she saw. Turning off Main, she strolled down the gravel street of Sweetgale. To her left was an older home and two newer ranch-style houses.

One front yard held an old red wagon like the one her grandparents gave her one summer. She’d given her doll frequent wagon rides…until Mother cut her playtime in favor of studying.

Audrey shook her head. Children shouldn’t be forced into being intellectual stars. In college, she’d realized how unfit she was for living in the real world. How gray her childhood had been. Other children’s mothers had played with them, spent time with them. Not had extra homework from her mother on top of what the private school required. Not had nannies who read physics texts to her rather than bedtime stories.

She shook her head, wrapping her arms around herself. Sometimes, she’d just wanted a hug so badly.

When she changed her college major to biology rather than physics, the final break had occurred.

Her mother had been furious. Audrey was to have been her achievement, a shining example of superior genetics and training. “But you must take after your sperm donor. Weak, emotional. Stupid. Fine. I wash my hands of you, Audrey. Get out and don’t return.”

Audrey huffed a laugh. Why did those words still hurt so much? Why had she stood there, wanting to beg her mother to love her?

She shook her head, remembering the neighbors gossiping about Mother, saying, “That woman has no love in her soul.” Maybe it wasn’t Audrey who was lacking.

Most days, she believed that. I won’t be an emotionless machine. I won’t.

Biting her lip, she frowned. Because she’d been on that path, hadn’t she?