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“We wanted to help!” Agnes said.

Jade blinked and then smiled. “That’s sweet, but I’m fine. I was here to think.”

“At night?”

“It’s not the first time, and it won’t be the last.”

I frowned. “There has to be a safer place than a spring at night. What about wild animals?”

“Bears!” Agnes said.

“Wolves!”

“Spiders!”

“What they said,” I echoed.

Jade opened her mouth and then shut it. “All right. You have me there. I can go home.”

I let out a long breath, finally feeling like I could relax. I had a lot to think about, but I was glad she was okay.

“This place is scary,” Beatrice said. “It was cool last time, but not this time!”

“Last time?” Jade asked. “You brought them here before?”

“Yes. They conned me into it.” I winced at how tightly they gripped my hands. “But I don’t know if they’ll want to come back.”

“I don’t even care how cool the rocks are,” Beatrice said, hiding behind me again. “This place is too freaky!”

Jade spoke up immediately. “Strawberry Springs is safe. There’s nothing to worry about.”

“I don’t believe you.”

“I promise it is.”

“People break promises,” Agnes muttered.

“Well, I don’t.”

“Mommy said the same thing.”

I tensed.

The last time they saw their mother, Alice held her pinky out and said she was coming home.

She never did.

“But—” I shook my head at her.

Jade looked at the girls, and then at me.

Beatrice tugged on my hand. “Are those drivers here?” she asked.

My heart was in my throat. “What drivers?”

“The ones that hit Mommy. If they hit you, we’ll have to go to the scary home again.”

Scary home. Foster care.