Lina approached Kelli and spoke directly to her. “Kelli? Would you like to sit and have a snack with us? Then maybe we can play some games afterwards.”

“Snack,” said Kelli suspiciously. She shot a quick glance up at Lina.

I turned to her and spoke with all the heartiness I could muster. “That sounds great, eh, Kell?”

Marlene came too and we all settled in at the long work table with the other “program participants,” as they were referred to at Gorsebrook. Lina chatted with Kelli, introducing her to some of the people nearby as everyone studiously unpeeled the parchment from their morning glory muffins. Marlene, meanwhile, continued to murmur to me about how the program worked and what to expect. The snacks were a way to get everyone settled and at the table, and then the plastic plates and juice glasses would be cleared and craft supplies would be distributed. Later there might be a bit of exercise (simple yoga, or rudimen­tary calisthenics of the head-and-shoulders-knees-and-toes variety, which I could not for the life of me imagine Kelli taking part in), something called a “drum and rhythm circle,” and then the day finished off with a variety of easygoing games. Marlene suggested the best time for me to slip away might be shortly after Kelli became immersed in the post-snack craft portion of the day (assuming, I thought, she did become immersed, as opposed to closing her eyes and covering her ears in protest of the noise and strangeness).

I checked the time on my cracked phone. Jessica was picking me up in about twenty minutes, so that would hopefully be just enough time to get my sister settled.

A young man appeared by Marlene’s chair and stood weaving beside her. His manner was similar to Kelli’s, in that he was a rocker and a ground-looker-at-er, his head cocked off to the side as if it had been wrenched into that position by some malevolent chiropractor. He clearly wanted something from Marlene but his stratagem was to assert it with his presence, as opposed to beseeching her with his eyes or voice. He just rocked and waited and wiped his wet mouth on his sleeve.

“Hello, you,” said Marlene, taking his hand.

“Finny comin,” said the boy, looking off to the side.

“No, sweetie,” said Marlene. “Finny’s had to go away, remember? He got a new job.”

“Wan’ Finny.”

“I know, Jeremy. But Finny can’t be here today. But Ian’s here. And Lina’s here. It’s going to be a really fun afternoon.”

The boy rocked awhile, his expression unchanging. “Huck,” he said, and leaned abruptly toward Marlene, still not looking at her.

“Ok, honey,” said Marlene, and hugged him. After which, Jeremy toddled away.

“That was Jeremy?” I said. “The Jeremy?”

“That was him, our lost little lamb. You can imagine how frantic we were.”

“Yeah,” I said. “I wouldn’t be thrilled at the thought of him wandering the streets on his own.”

Marlene grimaced. “Oh, we were far from thrilled. But now he’s wondering where Stephen is — they all are. It’s always an upheaval when we have to let someone go.”