stopped for gas and called her.
“I’m almost there, honey.”
“Okay.”
Then she hesitated.
“Mom, when you get here, can you wait outside the employee building?”
I frowned.
“Why?”
“Just don’t come inside.”
“What’s wrong?”
“Nothing.”
Her answer came too quickly.
“It’s just easier if I come out to you.”
“Sophie, is something wrong?”
“No. Nothing’s wrong. I just want to see you.”
I told myself she was simply being nineteen.
Private.
Independent.
Maybe embarrassed by her messy room.
I had no idea how wrong I was.
I arrived at
