The heat wave might not have broken, but it had cracked enough that the evening was pleasant.Sara was sleeping in the twin bed, curled into a ball, the blankets pulled around her neck. Ivy watched her sister, her heart overflowing with unconditional love.She’d been ill-equipped to protect Sara from their father, but Ivy hoped she’d been spared the worst. Sara hadn’t talked about what happened in any detail. She didn’t have to.Ivy had lived it.Tomorrow. Tomorrow we will be free.Marti had come through. Their IDs would be ready in the morning. It would take everything Ivy had stolen from Mrs. Neel, but Marti was even giving her a car to get to the border.She retrieved a sleeping bag from the corner and unrolled it on the hardwood floor.“Ivy?” Sara whispered.“I’m sorry I woke you.”“You didn’t. Sit with me.”Ivy climbed onto the twin bed and sat up, her back against the wall. Sara turned on the small lamp next to the bed and leaned against her. Ivy played with the ends of her hair like she used to do when Sara was little.
