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Walking out of the store, she s really free for the first time She had a bus ticket to Florida in her pocket In no time at all—just seven and a half hours—she’d be on her way out of here …

A yellow sust of black exhaust A school bus Small faces peered out from the s

Lexi didn’t make a conscious decision to follow the bus; rather, she just kept walking On Turnagin Way, she angled left and walked up the hill By the time she reached the four-way stop, there were kids all around, laughing and talking and dragging ridiculously big backpacks on the sidewalk beside the crosswalks and conversations and movement

A line of buses was parked in front of the eleh a row of parked cars, parents dropping their kids off

A black SUV pulled past her and stopped

Lexi’s breath caught Froo to the back passenger door, opening it wide

And there, sitting in a big car seat, was a miniature version of Mia, with buoyant corn-silk blond hair and a heart-shaped face

Lexi inched sideways for a better view,sure she was partially hidden within the crowd of schoolchildren

Jude helped Grace out of the car and stepped back

Grace didn’t sive her a kiss, and then Grace walked away alone

Lexi frowned She couldn’t help re how it had been before, when Jude had driven Mia and Lexi to school The kisses, the hugs, the gaood-bye

Maybe Jude was having a bad day Or Grace had just said a bad word or gotten in trouble Or gled with her before they got in the car

Lexi hardly noticed when the SUV started to ain By the time she reached the crosswalk, it was in the line of cars exiting the school grounds, but Lexi wasn’t looking there All of her attention was focused on the little girl in the yellow T-shirt wearing a ridiculously big Hannah Montana backpack Her shoulders were slu her feet

No one talked to Grace as she walked into the school

Mo students ran for the school doors