“It’s not ridiculous!” Wunder found himself shouting back. “It’s the most rational explanation!”

“So what?” Faye shoved her bangs from her face. She pinned them up with fast-fingered fury. “I can’t believe you’re still not convinced! You really think everything that’s happened is a coincidence? What about the spirals? What about the letters? Why would she tell everyone to come to Branch Hill?”

“Officer Soto said she’s been inviting other people into the DoorWay House,” Wunder said. “Other funeral-goers. She’s probably asking them to steal things for her too. Or asking for money. Or maybe she’s”—he struggled to think of another reason, a non-miraculous reason—“starting a cult.”

Faye pulled her hood up. She glared at him from the shadows of its peak. “You don’t believe that.”

“Why not?” Wunder cried. “What has she actually done? She hasn’t done anything for me! She’s a—she’s a fake!”

“I don’t think that can be true.” Davy spoke up for the first time. “When we were in her house—” He was quiet for a moment. “When my mom was sick—really sick—I would go in her room late at night sometimes. And you know we’re not—we’re not very religious or anything. But I would feel something in the room. Something that would make me feel better. And I felt that in the house. In the DoorWay House.”

“It’s what we wanted to feel,” Wunder said. “That’s what everything has been. She’s not what we thought she was. That’s just who we wanted her to be, who I wanted her to be.” He crossed his arms. “I’m not going to see her. I never want to see her again.”

“Well, just because you’re not going back doesn’t mean Davy and I have to stop!” Faye said. “If you’re not going to believe in your miracle, that’s fine. Maybe there will be one for me! Do you even remember my grandfather?”

Wunder stared at her. “What do you mean? I never met your grandfather.”

“Do you remember that he died? That I was close to him? That I’ve been”—she pulled her hood down even farther, covering her eyes, before continuing—“that I’ve been sad since he died?”

“I did know that,” Wunder said. “And I’m sorry. But he was old! He lived a long time! He was—”

“He wasn’t old!” Faye screamed, shoving her hood back. “He was fifty-nine! He was young! He was really young to die. And he knew there were miracles at the DoorWay House. He saw the spirals spinning, just like you did, and he knew about the shadows I saw there. He would have believed that Milagros is a miracle, and I do too! She said she was going to help everyone who had lost someone. She said she was going to help me! And she’s going to, I know she’s going to!”

Wunder was too angry to feel bad about what he’d said. He was too angry to do anything except yell back, “She can’t help anyone! It’s all lies!”

Faye glared at him. Then she swung her cloak around herself. “Here you go again, Wunder,” she said. “Something bad happened, so now you don’t believe in anything anymore, right? Well, not me. I’m going to find my miracle. I’m not afraid of the dark.”