“The inn is going to get busy with people checking in this afternoon, and I promised my mom I’d help. Then I have to get the kids fed. But after that, they’re going to watch a movie with my dad. Maybe I could come then? Around eight, if that’s not too late?”

“That’s fine.” She could have said midnight, and I wouldn’t have cared.

“I won’t be able to stay too long.”

“I’m a good teacher. We’ll work fast.”

She smiled up at me. “I’ll see you tonight.”

13. Sylvia

Thirteen

Sylvia

When Frannie came to pick up the girls, she asked if she could talk to me alone.

“Sure,” I said, glancing at the kitchen table, where all five kids were finishing up ice cream sundaes. “Want to go in the family room?”

“Um, let’s go upstairs,” she said, her expression concerned. She lowered her voice. “I really don’t want them to hear us.”

“Okay.” My stomach twisted into knots as we made our way up to my bedroom. Once we were inside, I sat on the edge of my bed and Frannie shut the door, leaning back against it.

“I don’t want you to freak out,” she said, holding up both palms.

“Frannie, you’re scaring me. What’s going on?”

“So, you’d mentioned once before that your kids are not allowed on social media, right?”

“Right. I’ve told them they have to wait until high school.”

“Well, Whitney has an Instagram account.”

“No, she doesn’t.”

Frannie nodded. “She does. She showed it to Millie. And you need to see it.”

My stomach churned. “Oh, God.”

“It’s not terrible—it’s just . . . I think you should talk to her.” Frannie came and sat next to me on the bed, pulling out her phone. It took her only a few seconds to find Whitney’s account.

The profile name wasn’t real, but the photos were—a series of selfies of her in full makeup, pouting for the camera. I scrolled through, relieved not to see anything too suggestive but sick to my stomach to think she’d done this and hidden it from me. I glanced up at the bio: Just a girl who wants to feel beautiful.

I squeezed my eyes shut, fighting back tears. “Shit.”

“It’s not that bad,” Frannie said, taking the phone from my hand. “The account is set to private, and it’s relatively new so she doesn’t have many followers. But I thought you’d want to know.”

“Thanks. Now tell me what to do about it.”

She laughed gently. “Sorry, I haven’t dealt with this one yet. But it’s probably coming. Millie is all over Mack about social media, but he always refuses.”

“What would he do if he found out she’d done it anyway?”