I nodded and walked out of the study.

The hallway was quiet, lit only by the low wall sconces.

I walked up the carpeted stairs to the guest wing.

The door to the playroom was cracked open.

A soft, warm light spilled onto the hallway floor.

I looked inside.

Owen was sitting on the rug, his small fingers tight around the ear of his worn teddy bear.

Lily sat beside him, staring at a picture book but not turning the pages.

They looked so small in the massive room.

I tapped gently on the doorframe.

Owen looked up instantly, his shoulders tensing.

“Hi, sweetie,” I said, stepping inside.

“Are you two doing okay?”

Lily did not look up, but she reached out and touched Owen’s sleeve.

“We want to go home,” Owen whispered.

My heart ached for them.

“I know,” I said, sitting on the floor a few feet away from them.

“But right now, you are safe here.”

“Is the mean lady coming?” Lily asked, her voice barely a whisper.

It was the first time she had spoken directly to me.