“Lily!” I called out, turning away from him.

I ran down the hallway toward the stairs.

My sneakers squeaked against the highly polished hardwood floor.

Behind me, I heard Nathan’s slow, measured footsteps follow me out of the kitchen.

“You are overreacting, Sarah,” he called out, his voice perfectly level.

“Let’s just talk about this like rational adults.”

I didn’t answer him.

I scrambled up the wooden stairs, taking them two at a time.

The upstairs hallway was dark, lit only by the small blue nightlight plugged into the baseboard near the bathroom.

I pushed open Lily’s bedroom door.

She was sitting up in her twin bed, holding her stuffed rabbit close to her chest.

Her eyes were wide in the gloom of the room.

“Mommy?” she whispered. “Why did the house make that noise?”

“Put your shoes on, sweetie,” I said, my hands trembling as I reached for her pink sneakers on the floor.

“We are going to go for a drive.”

“But it’s bedtime,” she said, rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.

“Just put them on, Lily. Please.”