She came with a police escort to collect the last of their belongings.
Mia and Ben came too.
The entire street seemed to appear outside at once.
Nobody knew what to say.
Mrs. Alvarez hugged Laura.
Mr. Patel handed Ben a new baseball glove.
I stood beside the bush where I had found the first drive.
Mia walked toward me.
“You opened it,” she said.
“I did.”
“Were you scared?”
“Yes.”
She nodded as though that was the correct answer.
Then she looked down.
“I thought maybe you would throw it away.”
“Why?”
“Adults throw away things when they think kids are making trouble.”
I crouched so we were closer to eye level.
“You were not making trouble.”
“We were hiding stuff in people’s yards.”
“You were leaving the truth where it could survive.”
Mia looked toward her mother.
“Is that what Mom was doing too?”
I understood the question.
