It was time to call the police. Emma didn’t know how she felt about Devi’s disappearance. Part of her was glad. It was a small, spiteful little piece of her that thought that maybe the woman was finally out of their lives, but it was immediately crushed by the heavy weight of guilt that slammed onto Emma’s shoulders. Devi wasn’t the perfect mother but she was all they had.

“I need to report a missing person,” Emma said when the call was answered.

She answered the questions robotically. She pushed down any and all of the emotions that threatened to rise up and choke her. She both hated and loved...