Now, by the light of the fridge interior, Sero grabbed a package of sliced cheddar and an apple from the fruit bowl on the island. She retrieved her cell phone from the basket in the front hallway, careful not to make too much noise, and walked outside and down into the Greenfields farm. She sat on one of the folding chairs at the table where they usually packaged orders and bit into the apple, then folded a square of cheese in half and stuffed it into her mouth. She pressed the voice mail button on her phone and Izzy’s voice came pulsing through the speaker. “Karina! Girl, where are you? It’s been so long. Call me back. I have news.” Serotina smiled, not expecting the spark of sentiment she felt at hearing that name. She touched her screen to call Izzy back.

“K!” Izzy answered the phone. “Where’ve you been? How’s school? How’s everything?”

Sero didn’t know where to start. “Good. What’s going on with you?” she said, sidestepping the question. “What’s the news?” She folded another slice of cheese in half, then in quarters.

“Let’s just say it has to do with Alvaro’s house in Spain this summer, and a certain invitation to meet someone’s parents.”

“Get out!” Sero was now breaking the cheese squares into crumbs, then squeezing them back together between her fingertips.

“I know. Alvaro really wanted me to meet his family. I think this could really be it, Karina.”

“I’m so happy for you, Iz,” she said. “So, when do I get to meet this guy?”

“Come to Spain!” Izzy squealed. “Meet me in Barcelona after I go to his house. He’s interning at a hospital there all summer. We can travel around the Costa Brava and fly home together. Please, we’ll have a blast. And your Spanish is so much better than mine.”

Sero rolled a thin rope of congealed cheese under her fingers, unsure what to say. Her life didn’t operate on a school calendar anymore. In past years, she’d worked diligently to fill her summers with internships or activities, but now her life was the Sanctuary. “Yeah, maybe. That sounds fun.”

“I’ll send you my flights. I have to be back for my internship in July. My English professor recommended me to this literary agency and they hired me. For free, of course.” Izzy giggled. “Anyway, enough about me. What’s going on with you? What’s new? How’s that horse you sent me the picture of?”

Sero twisted the stem of her apple until it snapped off. “Buddy. Yeah, he’s . . . actually, I’m not sure. I think something might be wrong with him. He hardly eats anything and he’s got this big lump near his mouth.”

“Hmm. Sounds like when Mr. Chuckles got a tooth abscess. We knew something was wrong when he stopped eating.” Izzy chuckled. “Call the equine dentist. If you don’t treat those, the pus pocket can go up to their brain.”

“Oh god. That sounds serious.” Sero collected the pile of cheese curds in a tissue and tossed it all in the trash.