Raven’s P.O.V.
I drummed my fingers on the steering wheel, the faint beat of an old rock song humming from the radio—white noise against the restless pulse in my chest. The sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the parking lot of Fairview Elementary school, the asphalt still holding onto the day's warmth. Kids spilled out in clusters once the ball rang, backpacks slung over thin shoulders, laughter like flocks of birds taking flight. But my focus remained singular: the double doors where Lucy would emerge.
I adjusted the rearview mirror, not because I needed to see behind me, but because the reflection staring back at me felt like someone I was still trying to understand. Damp hair pushed back, clean flannel shirt, jeans without a single stain—I had made sure of it. The quick showe
