“Right!” Claus finally found his voice.

“We should return inside, else you catch a cold.”

They got back inside and the energy in the room had shifted, heavy, brittle. Carol gave Mia a soft smile and a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. She didn’t have the words, but the gesture said enough.

That small gesture didn’t only shock Mia; it melted her heart. She couldn’t believe someone like Carol would show empathy for her if she by chance felt it.

Cody, meanwhile, looked wired. ...