(Sophie)
I could not sit still. I paced the living room, my phone in my hand. Every few minutes, I checked it again, hoping for a message from Alexander or James. It had been three hours since they left. Three long, quiet hours. Mom and Dad tried to talk to me about small things, but I could not focus. All I could picture was the two of them out there, facing danger, and whether they were safe.
Finally, my phone made a sound. I looked down at the screen. A message from Alexander: "It's over. Coming home."
Relief spread through me so fast I almost dropped my phone. I told Mom and Dad. We all just looked at each other for a moment. The tension in the house seemed smaller now, like a heavy silence had finally ended.
We waited. I could not stop looking out the windows. Then I heard the SUV
