“You’re a genius.” Finn slurped from the edge of her cup, then looked around for their mom and spotted her chatting with the cashier. Three Pepsis, several sticks of jerky, and a bag of marshmallows sat on the counter between them. The cashier must have noticed how pretty Nora looked in her white tank top, her arms lean and freckled from the hours she spent outside at Sunnyside Dairy. She’d worked there for as long as Finn could remember, working her way up from feeder to manager in only a few short years. There was a large bruise on her right thigh from where a cow had kicked her the week before. Finn thought it looked like a sunflower.

“Where do you think Mom’s taking us?” Zadie asked.

“Dunno. The zoo?”

“The zoo’s only an hour from our house.”

Finn furrowed her brow thoughtfully. “You don’t think she’s taking us to that doll museum again, do you?”

“Ugh. I hope not. That place was creepy.” Zadie stole a glance at Nora. “Don’t you think it’s a little weird, though?”

“What’s weird?”

“Dragging us out here to the middle of nowhere. Not telling us where we’re going?”

Finn hadn’t really given it much thought. Nora often sprung plans on them last minute, so it wasn’t a stretch to think that she would wing a trip like this, too. Her sister was probably worried over nothing. “I dunno. I think it’s fun.”

Zadie exhaled heavily, then held out her hand. “Can I have a sip of that?”

Finn passed her the Slushie. Zadie popped off the cap and straw and took a large gulp, leaving a green mustache on her upper lip that she quickly wiped away. “Thanks,” she said, passing the drink back.

“Zadie! Finn! Come here.” Nora gestured for them to join her at the register. Finn was first to her mom’s side. “Look at this,” Nora said when Zadie had finally caught up. She held out a brochure for something called the Constellation Campground. The picture on the front flap showed a family of four posing in front of a sandstone mesa, blithely smiling at their own good fortune for booking—according to the small print—THE ONLY CAMPGROUND WITH SPECTACULAR VIEWS OF THE RED ROCKS.

“How would you guys like to stay here tonight?” Nora asked.

“Really?” Finn gasped. She loved camping. She loved sleeping outside with the crickets and the owls, eating charred marshmallows, splashing through creeks looking for arrowheads. She even loved bugs and would collect the ones she found in a plastic terrarium her mom had gotten her from the dollar store. Finn would always release them after an hour or two, but she liked being able to see them up close: the bristles on their legs, their stained-glass wings, the iridescent orbs of their eyes.