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I call her back and she picks up on the first ring.
“Do you think you can come over?” she asks, her voice low. “I’m worried about Sofie.”
“I’ll be right there.”
Fred hops in the truck before me and we’re pulling into Sofie’s driveway three minutes later. Hilary meets me outside, wringing her hands together.
“I wasn’t sure what to do,” she says. “She’d been out in the stables for hours and I went out to see if she wanted something to eat and found her sitting on the floor of one of the empty stalls.”
I’m already heading toward the barn and Hilary is keeping up with me.
“She’s out of it. It’s like she can’t even hear me,” she says.
I walk into the barn and the horses are still out, so it’s empty. Hilary points at the last stall on the right. I walk in and Sofie’s legs are tucked against her chest, her arms wrapped around them.
“Sof? I’m here.” I sit down next to her, speaking softly as I do. “You okay?”
She doesn’t move or speak or give any indication that she hears me, her gaze fixed on something ahead.
“Sofie?”
I move to sit in front of her and she’s so far into her world, I’m still not sure she sees me.
“Firefly?” I say a little louder.
She blinks and it’s like her vision clears all of a sudden.
“Theo,” she whispers.
Her face crumbles and she leans forward, putting her head against my chest. She’s still in the pajamas she left in this morning, with a sweatshirt too, but her hands are chilled. I wrap my arms around her and feel her tremble against me.
“I can’t stay here,” she says. “I can’t stay.”
Panic courses through me, her words like a knife. I just got her back.Please don’t make me give you up again, I want to beg her, but I don’t. I hold her and feel her tears soaking my shirt.
Fred sneaks his nosy face between us and licks her cheek and I hear her laugh. The relief is instant.
“Can I take you to my house?” I ask.
“Please,” she whispers. “Get me out of here.”
I help her stand up and she sags into me. Hilary has moved away from the stall and I see her near the door, like she’s not sure what to do with herself.
I put my arm around Sofie’s waist. “Do you need to bring anything with you?”
She nods. “I need my backpack and some clothes. I shouldn’t leave Aunt Hilary—”
Hilary slips out of the door without Sofie seeing and I turn to face Sofie. “We’re only going to worry aboutyou, okay? No one else. Your aunt is fine, and I can come back and take care of anything here that you’re concerned about.”
She nods. “Okay,” she whispers. “Okay.”
Fred jumps up on her and licks her cheek and she laughs again. It’s the best sound I’ve ever heard.
“Come on, let’s get you home.”
She takes a shaky break and looks at me, her eyes clearer. “Thank you.”
We go into the office, and she grabs her backpack and stuffs a few more things inside and seems like she can’t get out of here fast enough.
