Chapter 62: Anastasia

The air outside the hotel is cold and wet. It is past nine o'clock, and a drizzle makes the asphalt look black and shiny under the yellow streetlights. I pull my cardigan tight against my chest. Emmet is holding my left hand, his grip warm. After the conversation inside the dining room, holding his hand feels different. The fear of what people will say hasn't gone away, but it feels manageable now.

Leo walks a few steps ahead of us, his backpack bouncing against his coat. Luna walks next to him. She is holding the small wooden tractor Emmet’s father carved for him, spinning the wheels with...