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Ant popped his head out of theof the cab of the truck “I’et me!”

Elsa felt a rush of love for these children of hers, a soul-deep sense that was akin to longing; she drew in a deep breath, exhaled, and smelled the dry Panhandle Texas air that was as much a part of her life as God and her children She’d been born in this county and always thought she’d die here “This is horow up here and be the first Martinelli to go to college here Austin, I thought Or Dallas, a place big enough to hold your dreams”

“This will always be hoe that Look at Dorothy After all her adventures, she clicked her heels together and went home And really, what choice do we have?”

“You’re right”

She closed her eyes for a moment, remembered another time when she’d been scared and felt alone, back when she’d been sick That was the first tirandfather had leaned down and whispered, Be brave, into her ear And then, Or pretend to be It’s all the same

The memory calmed her She could pretend to be brave For her children She wiped her eyes, surprised by her tears, and said, “Let’s go”

She returned to the truck, took her seat, and banged the door shut beside her

Loreda settled in beside her brother and opened up a map “It’s ninety-four miles from Dalhart to Tucumcari, New Mexico That should be our first st

op I don’t think we should drive at night At least, that’s what Grandpa toldthe map”

“You and Grandpa picked out a route?”

“Yeah He’s been teachinghe and Grandht me all kinds of stuff—how to hunt for rabbits and birds, how to drive, and how to put water in the radiator In Tucumcari, we pick up Route 66 west” She reached into her pocket, pulled out a battered bronze coht it with them from Italy”

Elsa stared down at the compass She had no idea how to read it “Okay”

“We can be a club,” Ant said “Like the Boy Scouts, only we’re explorers The Martinelli Explorers Club”

“The Martinelli Explorers Club,” Elsa said “I like it Off we go, explorers”