addy?" Lily asked

rug, stacking her

mall, battered suitca

ltation was free. The reality of payi

to keep his voice light. "We're g

Mommy

.. Mommy has things t

"But it'll be great

maybe even a pet. Small prom

en home much s

, she barely

ntally. Glossy photos from society pages. Izzy

Art gallery openings. A

h stab of pain, a remin

ed his life into her

es of being a strugglin

his music, his d

lude"? A placeholder unti

as a constant ta

Izzy came hom

brightly wrapped

eristically soft. She handed it to Ethan

e expensive-lookin

s kind of casual generosity before. Everything was

he asked, hi

Something s

st it. He did

" Ethan said, tryi

their landlord, Mr. Henders

a minute? Abo

resurfaced. Izzy usually handled Mr. Henderso

into the hallway

n said quietly, after they discussed

was a decent man, for all his gruf

A clean

it ain't my business." He clapped Ethan on the s

d, a lump i

t back

tment wa

sive gift

ere Izzy

him. A cold

ed out, his voi

pty. The small suitcase he

rtment, down the stai

d she take

k nearby, his calls for L

th

police when he saw Mrs.

r Lily?" she asked, he

ou seen her?

ago. Said she was taking Lily to the doctor.

mp? Izzy had never

tarted to creep in, cold

linic, the one Izzy sometime

he saw Izzy's ca

his breat

pen window on the ground

ice, calm

n, Leo. We confirmed it with the preliminary tests. The bo

stoppe

w? For Jul

r's reply, muffled

e least we can do. Lily is strong, she'll be fi

orld

ghter.

end for Julian

it, the calculated bet