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“What do you mean she’s gone?” I still.

“She’s going on an airplane to Paris for the summer. She packed all her stuff last night. She already went to the airport.”

I sit at the computer and pull up his emergency contact file. I call his mother’s number. Her voicemail picks up.

“Bonjour! I’m going to be in France for the summer. I’ll be back on August twenty-fifth. I won’t be checking voicemail, but you can email me at …” She rattles off her email address before the tone beeps.

“Ms. Curtis, this is Julia Brant. We met at the trial. I’m the nurse at your son’s school. I need you to call me right away. I have an important matter to discuss with you.” I hang up before sending an email to the address she provided in her voicemail. I CC her email address on file, too, in case she checks that email first.

“I guess she’s really gone,” I mutter.

Max sags against the wall before sliding off the chair and standing. His head hangs for several seconds before he raises his face to mine. The sorrow in his eyes shatters my heart.

“At least you tried before,” he mutters before heading toward the door.

“Wait!” When he turns back toward me, there’s so much hope in his eyes that I start talking without thinking. “You can’t stay with me forever, but … Just give me a minute to think.”

As I pace back and forth, trying to come up with a plan, Max returns to the chair and sits. He’s patient. Silent. And for the first time since he walked into the room, the black sparks are gone. His aura still burns red, but its vibration is less frantic.

The school bell rings, and kids scamper past the closed door like a heard of wild animals. The sound usually brings a smile to my face, but not today. I can’t let him go to his father’s house for the summer. But I can’t kidnap him either. I don’t have anywhere I can take him. He can’t stay in my tiny apartment. The cabin’s too rustic. It has well water, and it’s solar powered, barely. I don’t dare take him to my parent’s house.

“We need to leave before someone comes looking for you,” I say.

I still don’t have a plan, but I need to get off the school grounds. I’m not abandoning Max. I can’t do it. It’s not who I am. I hate this fact about myself because it usually gets me into trouble. He’s not my responsibility. Yet, I’m the only one willing to stand up for him. I spoke on his behalf in front of the judge, but his father’s lawyer argued that my medical findings could have been mistaken for roughhousing, something he claimed kids did all the time. It was total bullshit, but it was enough for the judge. The whole trial was a sham.

“I’m going to get my car and bring it around to the side of the playground. Wait two minutes, then come out. Make sure you turn off the light and shut this door behind you. Okay?”

“I’m coming home with you?” His grin reveals a recently lost baby tooth. It’s adorable and only solidifies my resolve. This boy is too sweet and innocent to spend months with a monster who’ll only hurt him.

“Just for a little bit until I figure something out,” I tell him. “Don’t open the door to anyone. Wait two minutes, then go. Okay?”

“Two times around the clock.” His aura brightens to a pastel red. The black sparks are completely gone, along with the tension in his body.

“I’m going to get my car. Two minutes,” I remind him.

As I leave the office, I hope I can pull this off. Sneaking off school grounds with a student is a massive no-no. I could end up in jail for doing this, but what choice do I have? The law couldn’t protect him, so there’s no point in calling them. His mother’s out of the country. As far as I know, he doesn’t have any other relatives. I’m all he’s got, so I have to help him.

I force myself to walk slowly down the hall when all I want to do is run. I pass the principal’s office. She’s not there. Usually, she waits outside with the kids near the school busses. My car is on the other side of the parking lot.

When I get outside, I veer off, avoiding the kids lined up to get on the bus. The principal waves. I wave back and force a smile, and she turns away without a second glance. She probably doesn’t suspect a thing. I’ve been a nurse long enough that she trusts me completely. Betraying her trust gives me a moment of pause, but saving Max is more important than my reputation. Besides, as long as I don’t get caught, I’ll be fine.

I know I’m doing mental cartwheels to justify my completely insane behavior, but I don’t care. I’m at my car and inside before I can rethink this plan.

As I pull out of the lot, one of the teachers waves. I return the gesture, so I won’t look suspicious. I feel like I have a huge neon sign over my head that reads: Kidnapper! Which is ridiculous. I haven’t done anything yet, so there’s nothing to suspect.

I pull onto the side road and circle to the back of the playground. I don’t see Max. I check my watch. He should be out here already. Does he even know how to read a clock? Most first graders learn it at some point, but some kids take longer than others. I may have made a huge strategic error already.

My breath catches. A full minute passes. I can’t stay in this spot much longer without drawing attention. I’m about to drive away when I finally spot Max. He’s running across the grass with his little backpack in his hands. The sight kills me. He’s so little and vulnerable. What kind of monster would hurt a kid? I’m not naïve. I know evil exists in the world. But there’s something terribly wrong with people who hurt children.

I reach across the car and throw the passenger door open. “Get in.”

Max hops in and struggles to pull the door closed. He finally manages it.

“Put your seatbelt on.” I glance in the rearview mirror. Another car is coming down the road toward us. I’ve got to get us out of here.

The second Max clicks his seatbelt into place, I’m off. My eyes are glued to the speedometer. Sheriff’s deputies tend to hide in the neighborhood around the school, waiting to catch someone speeding or running a stop sign. I obey every law, well, except for the kidnapping one.

I bite back a hysterical laugh. This is complete insanity. I’ve never done anything so reckless before. However, I’m smart. I’m resourceful. And I’ll figure out a way to save him. I just need time. And I need to get as far away from the school as possible.