“Oh, no, honey, I’m just the school secretary. Mr. Stewart is the principal. You remember Kyle Stewart? He graduated a couple of years before we did. He’s been here fifteen years,” she said, “but I can get your kiddo enrolled.”

While she looked over the paperwork, Ruth-Ann brought Lily up to date on all their old classmates—who was married, who had kids, who wound up in jail, and who was divorced. “It looks like everything is in order. We offer the same classes that you had in Austin, Miz Holly. We can slip you right into accelerated English, math, and science in the morning so you can get the heavy load over with before lunch.” In less than fifteen minutes, she had arranged Holly’s schedule, printed it out, and handed it to her. “Your locker number is right there on the top of the page. If you want a lock, you’ll have to provide it yourself.” She opened a drawer and brought out a blue-and-gold booklet. “Read this, especially the dress code. The school has gray sweats in all sizes for any kids who come to school dressed inappropriately.”

Lily reached out a hand. “Maybe you’d better give me one of those, too.”

Ruth-Ann got another one out and handed it to her. “I wish all parents would read the booklet.”

“I intend to stay on top of things,” Lily said. “I will be calling each week to see if things are going well.”

“Feel free to do that or stop by anytime,” Ruth-Ann said. “If you’d like, I can call down to the elementary school and make sure our principal is still in his office.”

“Braden is in the seventh grade. Isn’t that middle school?”

“Sorry about that, yes,” Ruth-Ann apologized. “Welcome to Comfort, kids, and call me sometime, Lily. We’ll have lunch.”

“Sure thing,” she said, but she had no intention of having lunch with Ruth-Ann. The woman had been the biggest gossip in high school, and she’d already told her everything she knew about everyone in town. Lily didn’t need to hear a weekly update on anything or anyone except her own kids. “Let’s go get Braden enrolled, and then maybe we’ll stop by Sally’s store and see her.”

“Yes!” Holly pumped her fist in the air.

The middle school had been the old high school and was a little over two miles away and closer to town. It was where Lily had gone to school her freshman and sophomore years. Mack’s class had been the last one to graduate from high school in that building. She was thinking of him when she parked the car and got out for the second time that day.

“Can I just stay right here?” Holly asked. “I brought a book, and I’ll lock the doors.”