Jessica spun toward the deputy and shrieked, “Tell her what Mom and Dad did last month! They sold the family house, and we have nowhere else to go!” The kitchen fell silent. Dad’s arms dropped slowly to his sides. Mom stared at the floor, and the phone she had hidden the night before buzzed again in her hand. I looked from face to face, waiting for someone to call it a lie. Nobody did.

Then Mom whispered, “We were going to tell you this week.” She turned the screen toward me, and my stomach tightened as I read the glowing message. It was from a moving company, and it said the truck carrying their furniture would reach my address on Saturday morning.