Leo and Mia sit in the backseat of the heated RAV4, seatbelts stretched across their chests and latched securely. The windows have fogged slightly from the warmth inside, creating a cocoon against the crisp morning air. Both children have grown noticeably taller since their summer arrival—their heads simply reach higher in the seats. Melody cruises along the pine-framed two-lane road, her fingers relaxed on the steering wheel. She glances occasionally at the cool autumn sun rising in the pale sky, its light filtering through the towering pines that line both sides of the road. In the rearview mirror, she catches glimpses of the children—Leo staring out the window with quiet contemplation, Mia clutching her new backpack against her chest. Their destination is the elementary school, a single-story red brick building that has stood for decades, weathered and familiar, just a few miles from their home and the beach. Mia shifts in her seat, and Melody hears the small intake of breath tha
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