He shook his head then smiled at her. ‘No. I’m good. Is now a good time to talk to you and Dad?’

‘Sure.’ Alyssa hooked her arm through her son’s and walked with him into the living room where she released him and moved over to sit next to her husband, who muted the television. ‘Okay, what’s up?’

Brock didn’t seem surprised that Isaac wanted to talk to them about something, so he must’ve already known.

Like he had earlier, Isaac began bouncing on the balls of his feet, one of his tells that he was nervous. Alyssa tried to calm her racing heart by reaching over and clasping her husband’s hand in her own.

‘So, Trevor asked if I wanted to go camping with him and his family this weekend for Memorial Day. His parents already said I could. In fact, it was their idea.’

Alyssa’s stomach plummeted, and her nerves felt like a match had been set to them. When she was certain her voice wouldn’t betray her fear of letting him go away without her for the weekend, she asked, ‘When are they leaving?’

Not hearing an outright ‘no,’ Isaac’s voice was filled with excitement. ‘Well, we’d leave Friday, early.’

‘Isn’t there school on Friday?’

Isaac rolled his eyes, and while it should’ve bothered her, it actually made Alyssa smile because it was just one more thing that showed he was bouncing back. ‘Technically, yes. But you already know it’s nothing but a waste of time since eighth-graders graduate Thursday evening. It’s stupid. It’s like insisting seniors go back to school after they’re handed their diplomas.’

It was a fair argument and one his sister had offered four years earlier.

‘So, can I?’

What Alyssa wanted to ask was: ‘Are you sure? You’ll be in the mountains, in the woods, just like you were when you were kidnapped.’ Instead, she lifted her head and caught her husband’s gaze, knowing his fear was similar to her own, and that made her feel better, though she wasn’t sure why.

The next words out of Isaac’s mouth clinched the deal. ‘Janelle said she thought it would be a good thing for me to do if I felt comfortable with Trevor’s family.’ Then he stared directly at Alyssa. ‘I agree. I think I need to do this, Mom. I can’t be afraid forever.’

Something ballooned inside her, making Alyssa’s heart feel too large for her chest. She trusted Isaac’s therapist because she’d made such strides with him in a relatively small amount of time. When she caught Brock’s eye again, she saw the acquiescence in his expression. He squeezed her hand tighter, and she turned to Isaac.

‘You can go—’

Isaac whooped loudly, pumping his fist in the air.

‘—but I want to speak to Trevor’s mom before you leave.’

‘Thanks M and D!’ He swung around and raced to the stairs to let Trevor know, but stopped at the bottom step and whirled back around, a mischievous glint in his eye. ‘You know what else Janelle recommended? Getting a dog. Very therapeutic, she said.’