“I hate to leave you like this,” he said, pulling out of the hug. “But I actually have to go.”

“It’s fine,” she said.

“You gonna be okay?” he asked.

She nodded. “Yeah.”

“I could go to the police with you. If you wanted that.”

She shook her head. “No, but thanks.”

He headed for the door with his backpack but then hesitated. “Can I actually ask you something?”

“Of course.”

“When you asked for my father’s number,” he said. “I know I said I wouldn’t ask again but …”

She didn’t want to tell him what she had suspected. It would ruin everything. She said, “I was going to ask if he had any fun stuff, like old pictures from college, that kind of thing. But then I forgot.”

“Why did you think you had to be secretive about that? I could ask him for you.”

“No, it’s okay,” she said. “I don’t know. I’m weird lately.”

“Lately?” He smiled.

She smiled back.

“Well, I’m glad that you have a plan.”

“Me, too.”

He went to leave again but then seemed to hesitate again. He turned. “I’ve been thinking. Like, we don’t see each other that much anymore. But we don’t actually have to rely on our parents to make plans. We could just do whatever we want.”

“That is absolutely true,” she said.

“So should we do that?”

She said, “Let’s,” and he smiled.

“Call me or text or whatever if you need anything, okay?” he said.

“Of course,” she said, then he left and she went back to the couch.

“Alexa,” she said. “Play playlist ‘Songs for a Rainy Day.’ ”

Alexa said, “Cannot find playlist ‘Songs for a Rainy Day.’ ”

“Alexa,” Eden tried again. “Play playlist ‘Songs for a Rainy Day’ from Michael’s Spotify.”

Saying his name felt awful.

“Cannot find playlist called …”

“Alexa!” Shouting now. “Play ‘Interstate Highway Love Songs’ playlist from Michael’s Spotify.”

“Cannot find playlist ‘Interstate Highway Love Songs.’ ”

“Alexa, play songs from Michael’s Spotify.”

“I’m sorry. I don’t see a Spotify account linked to—”

“Alexa,” Eden said, “just … shut up!”

Eden gripped the couch cushion so hard it hurt her knuckles. Tears came then, again. She struggled to look past them as she went to her phone and opened Spotify. She wasn’t signed in. So she tried to sign in using her father’s credentials, like she always had, but the account seemed to no longer exist.

So the playlists were all just … gone?

“Alexa,” she said, and waited for the light. “I’m sorry I yelled at you.”

The Alexa lights came on, but the voice that answered was not Alexa’s. It was the device’s male voice. It said, “Stop turning your phone off all the time.”

She didn’t stop to think. She just got up and walked over and unplugged it.

Marwan

MARWAN