Chapter 40

Noah was going to be okay. They found him, and they were bringing him back. I still had a reckoning coming my way for letting two children wander away, but thank God, they were both okay. I didn’t know if I could ever have forgiven myself if something had happened to them—not just because of Bratt or Hannah’s parents, but because I would have failed at the fundamental responsibility I had as a teacher: protecting the children.

The tears streaming down my face wouldn’t stop, though. I’d failed by even letting kids wander away like this. I’d gotten lucky they didn’t go far. I’d gotten lucky that they walked into a police station instead of somewhere awful, but the fact remained that they’d walked away in the first place, and that was wholly on me.

I heard the door open behind me and looked over my shoulder at Bratt.

Guilt gnawed at my intestines. I thought I might vomit. I looked away from him to hide how ashamed I was of myself.

He sat down next to me and heaved a long, tired sigh.

“Ma