Then last Tuesday, my phone rang during my lunch break.
“Mrs. Carter? This is Ms. Rodriguez from Riverside Elementary.”
My heart sped up before my brain even understood why. “Is Lily okay?”
“I’m calling because she’s missed three days of school this week, and we haven’t received any absence notes.”
The sandwich I’d been eating turned to sawdust in my mouth. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Lily hasn’t been in class since Monday.”
“There must be some mistake.”
There was a pause. “Mrs. Carter, I’ve been marking her absent. Are you sure?”
I wasn’t sure of anything anymore.
That afternoon, I waited on the couch. When Lily walked through the front door at 3:30 p.m., I tried to keep my voice casual.
“Hey, sweetheart. How was school today?”
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