chapter 38

Sage After everyone leaves and I make more coffee, we sit out in the back talking. Nora comes over feeling lonely without Zane, and her siblings are too busy playing their video games. We watch the kids play, and Marabella eventually falls asleep on the picnic rug, so Kat goes and lays her down inside. In contrast, we watch Kyan and Jonah sword fight with some twigs they found while running around the backyard and along the treeline before Mateo calls them over, not liking them that close to the forest edge. “We can always go out the front, the kids can climb the willow tree, and it is shadier for them to play,” I tell Mateo, and he nods, scooping up Eziah, who is ripping out handfuls of grass. “Come on, boys,” Mateo calls out to them, waving them over. They stop what they are doing and race over to us, skidding to a stop on the grass in front of me. “Where has Ella gone?” Kyan asks, looking around. “Ella?” I ask. “Marabella,” he says. “She is sleeping,” Mateo tells him. “Come on, you