The police were waiting at the house when Ivy pedaled up, panting.

“We’re going to take you down to the station,” the officers with the nicest eyes said. “Your mom’s there, you can see her.”

“But what—”

“Try not to worry. We’ll explain more at the station.”

• • •

Ivy sat in a meeting room with her mother. A woman the officers called Lieutenant sat across the table. She had calm eyes that looked as if they’d seen almost everything. For some reason, that comforted Ivy a little. Also, she’d asked if Ivy wanted anything to drink when she got here and had someone bring a cup of hot tea. Ivy cradled the cup in her hands.

“Ivy, your mom is here because her friend George is in the hospital getting his eye looked at,” the lieutenant said. “He might lose his sight in it, or maybe have spots drift across it for the rest of his life. He says your mom hit him with a rolled-up magazine. Hit him hard.”

Ivy glanced at her mom. Her mom looked down at her hands, which were clenched in her lap.

“She might have detached his retina. Also, his front window was shattered. He says your mom heaved a boom box through it, and that’s a vandalism charge.”

Ivy looked at her mom again. Her mom sat stone-faced.

“So the next thing that’s going to happen for you is that you’ll be taken into protective custody.”

“Mom?” Ivy said in a wavery voice.

Her mom flashed her a brief sad glance. “I’m sorry, Ives,” she said. She stared down at her hands again.

“Mrs. Marsden from Family Services will be here soon,” the lieutenant told Ivy as she led her from the room.

“Okay,” Ivy answered in a tiny voice.

• • •

Ivy spent the night in a group home and half the next day in the offices of Family Services, either being asked questions or sitting in a hard plastic chair, waiting.

The next morning, Mrs. Marsden drove her to the house where she was going to live, at least for a while.

Ivy gaped as they pulled up to it. It was the house she always stopped to admire on her way to school, the one with the wrought-iron fence and glassed-in porch and turret and banks of flowers.