LAUREN'S POV

I stood there and watched as Elena’s school bus slowly drove away, the sound of its engine fading down the street until it turned a corner and disappeared from sight. A small ache pressed against my chest, as though each mile it traveled was stretching an invisible thread that tied her to me.

Earlier that morning, I’d had to call the school principal and explain that Elena would be taking the school bus from now on. His voice had carried a note of surprise that stung more than ...