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Grace saw it all, and I had no doubts that she had thoughts about what she was seeing. But she knew me. Some of these things I wasn’t ready to say. Eventually, I would. But not now.

“Get some rest. I know how exhausting kids can be.”

“Don’t even get me started.” A yawn tried to escape me, but I kept it at bay. “I love you. And the rest of our friends. You all know that, right?”

“We do. And that’s why we care so much.”

I hugged her one last time before making my way into my apartment. The exhaustion hit me fully as I flopped on the couch.

Slowly, I looked over at my door. I needed to turn the extra locks. I needed to move everything I could in front of the door to ensure I wouldn’t sleepwalk to the last place on earth I needed to be.

But I was tired. So tired.

I wasn’t sure what I was tired of. Maybe it was the girls today, running me ragged as I took care of them. Maybe it was fighting my own need to sleepwalk.

Maybe it was fighting my desire to go find Gabriel, just like I had always done.

My eyes slipped shut before I could get up and barricade myself in. Sleep claimed me almost immediately.

I’d regret this when I woke up.

But for now, I couldn’t bring myself to care.

16

GABRIEL

Strawberry Springs Neighborhood Watch

Jackie Anne: How to use online menu

Comments:

Mollie Wilson: Uhh, Jacks. You meant to Google this, right?

Jackie Anne: Oh no! I still don’t know how to delete!

Jade Clark: Reminds me of Hugh . . . Speaking of which, he’s kind of been quiet lately. Has anyone done a welfare check?

Kerry Winsor: I heard his car backfire in the distance!!! He’s alive! He must be as busy as I am . . .

I was in bed when I heard a thump.

Back before I had the girls, I would’ve ignored it. These days, I knew it meant more. I got up, going right to Agnes and Beatrice. I wasn’t sure what I expected, but I had a feeling one of them was trying to sneak out again.

Instead, I found both girls in the same bed. Agnes was curled around Beatrice, hand tightly in her sister’s.

That was when I heard the noise again.

Now that I was awake, I could better tell where it was coming from.

Slowly, I turned to the front door.

If I were at my other apartment, I’d be worried. I’d discovered how dangerous crime could be immediately after moving to the city.

But this was Strawberry Springs. There weren’t a lot of things that went bump in the night.

Unless . . .