“I Came Home Early to Find My Parents Packing My Life Away Without Telling Me”

out of the car, and sat on a bench by the pond, staring at the water like it might have answers.

My phone buzzed incessantly. Mom. Mom again. Dad. Mom. Ten calls in a row, like she could ring me back into compliance through sheer persistence.

I ignored them all until my screen finally lit up with Madison’s name and a text message that felt like a lifeline:continue reading …