out?”
Noah looked at me.
I nodded.
He immediately headed upstairs.
Ethan followed.
Marcus closed his folder.
Luke went to the garage for boxes.
Daniel stayed beside me.
Over the next forty minutes, my brothers packed only what Sophie and I needed.
Clothes.
Schoolbooks.
Medication.
Documents.
Photographs.
Sophie’s stuffed animals.
Her favorite blanket.
Nothing more.
Derek stood in the living room watching.
At one point, he said quietly, “You’re actually leaving.”
I zipped Sophie’s overnight bag.
“Yes.”
“You don’t have to.”
I looked at him.
“Sophie will never spend another
