Not Every Home Is Meant to Be Returned To novel · Chapter 17 of 24

Chapter 17: The Creek Bridge

I knew where she was before Lacey had parked.

Behind our house, past the garden Grandma had planted, a dirt path ran down to Brindle Creek.

A wooden footbridge crossed it, with three planks missing and a rope for a rail.

Grandma used to take me there every Sunday after church to feed the ducks.

I jumped out of the car and ran down the path with Lacey behind me.

The ducks were there, floating by the bank.

Maisie sat at the middle of the bridge with her legs through the rope and her backpack beside her.

She was not crying. She was looking at the water very hard.

"Mais."

She turned, and her face crumpled.

"You found me."

I sat down beside her on the planks and put my arm around her.

She was small and warm, and her sneakers were wet to the ankles.

"What are you doing out here?"

"I was going to the diner. Kenzie's mom gives me pie. I was going to ask if I could live in the back room." She wiped her nose on her wrist. "I packed my pajamas and my toothbrush."

"Why would you do that?"

"Mom said it's your house now. She said we have to leave and sleep in the car, because you hate us."

I held on to her tighter.

"She said that?"

"She said it to Dad in the kitchen, and I heard. And then she said, Maisie, go ask Hazel to be nice. She said to cry if I had to."

Lacey made a sound behind us and put her hand over her mouth.

"I didn't want to cry at you," Maisie said. "So I decided I'd go away, and then you wouldn't have to kick me out."

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