Emma Signed Over Her Kitchen Island to Keep Toby Safe in Massachusetts

shoulder.

The workbook page was smudged with dark eraser dust. Toby had been working on the same five sentences since his bus dropped him off after school.

“The word is support,” he whispered.

“You know that one,” I said, brushing a stray pencil shaving off his page. “It means to hold something up so it does not fall.”

He looked up at me, his small face continue reading …