Hannah drew a deep breath of the cool autumn air, grateful she’d worn a hoodie over her long-sleeved shirt. Downtown Pecan Grove still slumbered, most of the offices closed for the weekend. But the multi-story buildings, the red-striped awning in front of the town’s most popular bakery, and the abandoned railroad tracks would make great backdrops. The lighting would be perfect once the clouds broke a little—that is, assuming the kids woke up enough to actually take photos. She turned to face Sophia, who had converted the hatchback of Hannah’s SUV into a mini breakfast station for the students, and couldn’t help but laugh as her friend rolled her eyes. The kids were leaning against the side of the car and even each other, bleary-eyed and munching donuts like zombies, while the fruit tray nestled beside the gallon of orange juice went ignored. Hannah gestured to the food stash. “It was a good try.” She plucked a handful of grapes from the tray and popped them into her mouth, one by one.
