Bending down, Whitney tucked a strand of hair behind Amelia’s ear. “No, we’re not. I’m sorry, my love.”

It had been the two of them for years now. Amelia was Whitney’s whole world. She had to find her.

The longer Amelia was gone, the more she felt herself unravel. Stepping farther into the room, she breathed in deeply through her nose and out her mouth the way she did trying to catch her breath after a run. It was supposed to calm her nerves, lower her heart rate. It wasn’t having that effect right now.

Above Whitney’s bed was a large canvas photo of her and Amelia taken several years earlier, smiling faces pressed together. They wore matching white sweaters, causing the greenery behind them to stand out. Whitney remembered following the photographer out into the middle of a giant field near the river to find the perfect backdrop. The sky was a brilliant blue that day, the temperature in the seventies. As the photographer snapped the pictures to the soundtrack of rushing water, Whitney had marveled at how blessed she was by her simple life and her tiny family. After the photoshoot, she and Amelia had gone out to dinner, then to grab ice cream. When they got home, they squished on the couch and watched some rom-com on Netflix.

Back then, the idea of Amelia running away would’ve seemed preposterous.

How had everything changed so drastically?

Whitney turned away from the picture. Her blinds were open, revealing a glowing crescent moon against the black sky. That’s what she needed. Fresh air. A run. That would help her calm down. Clear her head.

Quickly, she changed into her running clothes and headed back to the family room. When Natalie spotted her, her eyes widened.

“Where’re you going?”

“Just a quick jog around the block.” Whitney brushed past them, nearing the front door. She could practically feel the wind on her face, the pavement beneath her soles.

“Right now?” Natalie glanced toward the window, her forehead a mess of squiggly lines.

“I think it will help me relax, think more clearly.” Whitney threw Bruce a smile as she reached for the doorknob. “Stay as long as you want, Bruce.” Then to Natalie, she said, “I’ll be right back.”

“You better be.” Natalie smiled, but her eyes betrayed her concern as Whitney turned the knob, and stepped into the hall.

It was Dr. Carter who first encouraged Whitney to run. He thought she needed an outlet. Something positive. He’d gone as far as to give her an entire lesson on endorphins and the effect of exercise on the brain. At the time Whitney had thought it sounded stupid. The only reason she’d tried it out was because she wanted to lose a little weight.