Day forty-four felt like the house itself knew the clock was striking its final chime. The mist had burned off early, leaving Willow Creek bathed in late-summer sun, but the air inside the house on Maple Lane was thick with the weight of goodbye. Amina had texted the night before: “Dinner tonight. Final one before I leave for college tomorrow morning. Porch if it’s nice. Let’s not waste the time we have left.”
Elias read the message aloud while I was still curled against his chest in bed. His arm tightened around me so hard it almost hurt, that familiar clingy grip now edged with something close to panic. His hazel eyes were stormy.
“She’s leaving tomorrow,” he whispered, voice rough. “Tomorrow, Zara. This is it.”
He didn’t wait for more words. He rolled me onto my back and pushed insid
