Mommy!” Her voice cracked as I swept her into my arms. She felt so small and cold against me. “Grandma and Grandpa left me here. I tried to get in the car, but Grandma told me to walk home like a stray dog.”

My blood turned to ice. “What did you say, baby?”

Through chattering teeth and fresh tears, Lily told me what had happened. My parents had arrived at pickup time as they’d agreed to do twice a week. Lily had seen their silver SUV and run toward it, excited to see them. But when she reached for the door handle, my mother, Claudia, rolled down the window just enough to speak. “Walk home in the rain like a stray,” she’d said with a dismissive wave.