As I waited for the water to boil, I heard the sound of tires on the gravel outside.

My heart tightened, and I walked to the window.

A dark sedan was parked behind my truck.

The driver’s side door opened, and my mother got out, holding a black umbrella.

She looked smaller than I remembered, her shoulders hunched against the damp wind.

I walked to the front door and opened it before she could knock.

She stood on the porch, her face pale and lined with worry.

“Meredith,” she said, her voice shaking. “Please, let me come in.”

“Why are you here, Mom?” I asked, keeping my hand on the edge of the door.

“We need to talk,” she said, looking past me into the warm cabin. “Everything is ruined. Kelsey is staying with us, and she won’t stop crying. The bank is freezing their accounts.”

“I heard,” I said.

“You have to do something,” she said, her eyes filling with tears. “You have to tell the prosecutor that you don’t want to pursue this. If you sign a waiver, they might let Trevor out on a lower bail.”