I tipped my face to the ceiling, calling on all my patience. Because I knew Patti would never be able to keep a damn thing to herself. “All I can ask is that you try.”

She nodded and, without another word, started on her shopping as if we’d never had this weird confessional of a conversation. But her words stayed with me long after she left. As I worked, filling sandwich orders and stocking shelves, they hung in the air around me. Sometimes I forgot just how many lives my father had affected. His actions had crushed more than just our little family. How many people had he gotten hooked on substances that would destroy them? How many people had he lured into his chain of dealers?

The questions lay like a heavy blanket of grief and guilt on my chest. It made breathing just a little bit harder. And I could understand a little better why so many in this community had looked at me with disdain. Maybe they hadn’t been personally affected by it all, but they knew the poison that my family had pumped into their world. And I was a reminder of it.

My phone buzzed in my back pocket. Pulling it out, I saw the name of the elementary school flash on my screen. Crud. I really hoped one of the girls wasn’t sick. I waved to Max at the front of the store and motioned to my phone. He nodded, and I stepped back into the hall headed towards the office.

“Hello, this is Caelyn.”

“Caelyn, it’s Sue at the office. We have a bit of a situation.”

My heart plummeted to my stomach. This sounded more like someone being sent to the principal’s office rather than someone running a fever. “What’s wrong?”

She cleared her throat. “Someone claiming to be the girls’ father tried to take them out of school.”

I froze. “What?”

“A man came in. Said he was Ava and Mia O’Connor’s father and that he needed to take them out of school. That there had been a family emergency.”

My mind raced. Dad was here? This wasn’t happening. “You didn’t—please tell me you didn’t release them to him.”

“Of course not. You have to be on the approved list to pick up children, and you have to show ID. Plus, I know exactly who your father is, and he’s supposed to be in jail, not picking up children he has no rights to.”

My muscles came unstuck, and I moved through the store. I motioned to Max. “I have to go. Emergency at the girls’ school.”

His eyes flashed. “What happened? Is everyone okay?”

“I can’t explain right now. I have to go.”

“Of course. Let me know if you need anything, okay?”

I nodded but kept moving. “Sorry, Sue. I’m on my way. Did you call the sheriff?”