Claire laughed. Leave it to Margie to be disappointed for not having a lunch packed into her purse. “That’s all right. I’m fine.”

“This is not a negotiation,” Margie said, shaking her head. “You can either stay here or tag along. It’ll only take a few minutes.”

Claire smiled. “I’ll wait it out. Thanks, Margie.”

After half a cup of tea and a scone, Claire got the call to come see Lucy. The visitation was like something out of a movie, with Lucy behind a plate of glass, in a prisoner fish tank.

The only comfort was that Lucy didn’t seem distressed. Her hair even looked nice.

Claire wished she could give her a long hug. She had to settle with talking to her through the black wall phone. “Hi sweetheart. I’ve been so worried for you.”

Lucy snickered. “Oh, don’t be. I’ve been in far worse prisons than this. This place is nice! It looks like my old dorm room.”

“How many prisons have you been in?” Claire asked, alarmed.

She let out a sigh. “I guess they were technically jails? When they were going to bulldoze that historic library in Oregon, I probably got arrested three times for that alone.”

Claire shook her head. “You’re something else, Lucy.”

“The library is still standing, and so am I.”

Claire leaned in. “Melanie told me about the deal they offered.”

Lucy rolled her eyes. “I have no idea where the fugitive is, and if I did, I wouldn’t tell them anyway.”

Claire couldn’t help but smile. “I see.”

The guard announced that visitation would be over in one minute.

“Is there anything that I can get you?” asked Claire.

Lucy shook her head. “Don’t worry about me. Really. I’m fine.”

“I’ll be staying at a hotel nearby, and I’m coming to visit first thing in the morning. I love you, honey.”

Lucy smiled. “I love you too, Mom.”

The tears caught in Claire’s throat. Lucy never called her “Mom” except when she was feeling especially mushy. Claire rushed out of the area and burst into tears once she was safely out of sight.

Margie stayed with her at the hotel that night, reading aloud from websites about felony charges, how long the sentence could be, and options like house arrest and community service.

Claire didn’t find it all that comforting, but she was glad, at least, that Lucy wasn’t being mistreated. There was a small part of her that felt obligated to call in to the hotel and check on things, but she didn’t have the strength. She fell asleep after setting an alarm for six the next morning.