Page 81

their kids.”

“But you’re here. You’re just outside. Meemaw and Peepaw would

always be outside when I was inside.”

“I know.” Taylor closed her eyes. “Don’t say always. That was just a

few times.”

“Yeah,” Chloe agreed. “It was just a couple times.”

“Anyway, I’m right outside. And Christina is here too. We’ll be

checking on you every twenty minutes or sooner. But I know that you’ll

listen, and you won’t leave this room because it’s dangerous out there and

you could get hurt. When the movie is done, I can come get you and we can

go outside together for a bit. But please wait for me, okay?”

“Y-yes,” Chloe said emphatically. “We talked about this already.”

“Okay.” Taylor set up the laptop, slid in a movie, and tucked Chloe into

her makeshift bed. She made sure she had a bottle of water beside her. She

would never say it out loud, but she really didn’t want Christina to think she

was a bad mom for leaving her daughter all of ten feet away.

Did that make her a bad mom? On the farm, her parents left her alone

for long stretches at a time when she was younger than Chloe. She never let

that slide with her daughter, but if her mom or dad went outside to garden

or cut the lawn, and left Chloe watching a movie, she didn’t see the harm in

that. Chloe knew that the farm could be dangerous, and she obeyed the

rules. If she hadn’t been able to listen, she never would have been left

alone, but Chloe understood, and she obeyed.

“Okay. I’m right outside,” Taylor said again. “You’re good?” She had to

double check. She was paranoid now that she was in the running for the

worst mother of the year.

“Yup. I’ll stay in here. I’m okay.”

“Okay.”

Taylor gave Chloe a kiss on the forehead and let herself out of the room.

She made sure the door was tightly shut. Christina was waiting in the