Saturday, 1:20 p.m.
With Goose’s help, Olivia found Thea under the bed in the room that had once been Adam’s, noise-canceling headphones over her ears. Olivia lay down on her side on the floor, and Goose wriggled between them.
“We need to go,” Olivia said. “You got your bag?”
Thea, lying on her back, took off the headphones but continued staring at the bottom of the bed.
“We’ll find a hotel,” Olivia said, “and then we can go out for pizza. You must be hungry.”
“We were supposed to have brunch,” Thea said. “We were going to have frittatas and invite Leyna over.”
Frittatas, yes. Leyna, no. “I’m sorry, sweetheart. Things just got… complicated. Next weekend.”
Olivia felt a surge of guilt at disappointing her daughter the same way her parents had disappointed her so many times. She vowed to herself that the following Saturday, she would make Thea a brunch with waffles, pancakes, and French toast.
She reached under the bed, but her fingertips fell short of Thea’s. “Tonight, though, there will be pizza,” she said. “Whatever toppings you want.”
Thea stretched out and rested her palm on Goose’s back. The dog squirmed against her hand, self-petting. “Where’s Dominic?”
“He was looking for you,” Olivia said. “We all were.”
“I don’t want to go. They said we didn’t have to yet.”
She considered getting Dominic. He’d always been better at reading Thea. When Thea’s closest friend had moved away, he’d drawn monkeys in dry-erase marker on a glass pie plate and added water to make them dance. When she’d gotten a C minus on a science project, he’d recited the names of famous scientists who did poorly in school and made her laugh when he added cartoon characters to the list: No, really, Rick Sanchez and Professor Farnsworth both failed fifth-grade science.
Dominic listened and responded with whatever it was Thea needed, whether that be a thoughtful word, a silly joke, or silence and cake-batter ice cream.
Olivia tried to channel her son—what did Thea want in that moment?
But of course it was obvious. She wanted to stay, and Olivia couldn’t give her that. So she gave her the truth instead.
“It’s voluntary for now, but the fire’s getting closer, and we don’t want to wait too long. You remember what happened the last time. It’s not safe to stay.”
Thea remained on her back but turned her head toward Olivia. “Can I go with Dominic?”
“Dominic’s coming with us.” No matter what he’d said, Olivia wasn’t leaving without her son in the back seat of the Audi.
Olivia reached out to brush the hair from Thea’s forehead, but her daughter retreated farther under the bed.
“What about his car?” Thea asked.
“He can leave it.” Olivia felt the last of her patience draining away. She reached to where Thea’s hand rested on Goose’s back and grabbed it tightly so she couldn’t pull away. “We need to go, Thea. Now.”
When she felt Thea strain, Olivia released her hold. Her daughter rolled over so she could scratch Goose’s rump. His hind legs kicked in appreciation. Watching them jerk, Thea grew agitated. “Can I sit in the back seat with Dominic?”
“Of course.” Olivia patted the floor to get the dog’s attention. “Come,” she said to Goose. She glanced at Thea. “Both of you.”
The girl wriggled away and emerged a second later on the other side of the bed. Olivia could tell something was bothering Thea, but she’d explore that later, when they’d made it to the hotel. She wondered if they would have to drive all the way to Reno to find a room. Were any roads closed?
Whatever. They’d figure it out.
In the hall, Olivia slowed as they passed the wall where she had marked the kids’ heights, Adam’s and Dominic’s lines faded, Thea’s bolder.
They walked past the bathroom the brothers had shared, then Dominic’s bedroom, still arranged as it had been when he’d left for college.
In her head, she rewound the years to a time both of her sons had been alive and happy in this house, and her grip tightened on her daughter’s hand.
Then she remembered the woman her husband had screwed in their bedroom, and maybe it wasn’t enough to replace the sheets. Maybe it would be best if the whole neighborhood burned to ash.
But not just yet.
From her spot in the hallway, Olivia watched Richard in the living room. Her husband was still unaware that she knew what he’d done, and she worried she wouldn’t have time to fix his mistake. For their children, she owed him that, at least.