My hand tightened around the chair.
"Lying about what?"
"Where we were going," Emily said.
"The study groups? The weekend plans?"
They both nodded.
"The weekend plans?"
I took a step back from the towels.
"Did you find them?"
Grace stared at me.
"Your other family," I said.
Emily's face folded. "Dad, no. That's not what we were doing!"
"Did you find them?"
"It's okay," I said too quickly. "If you found something, I'll help. I mean it. I won't make you choose."
Grace pushed the white towel toward me.
"This isn't about leaving you."
"Then what is it?"
"Open it," Emily said.
I unfolded the towel.
"I mean it."
Something slipped from the folds and landed between us.
Three plane tickets.
Three seats.
"No," I whispered.
Grace said, "We leave in three days."
"We haven't been back there in 18 years."
Three plane tickets.
"We know," Emily said.
"Babysitting. Tutoring. Dog walking. Weekend shifts once we were old enough," Grace said. "Every dollar we could save."
