Chapter 9 - One Necessary Thing
After the review, Rachel waited beside Maya's car and said, "I should've broken the window." Maya replied, "You should've never walked away." Both were true. Rachel said she wanted Elaine forced to face Warren's decline. She had left Ellie with him for one minute while she took her boys to the restroom. Elaine was supposed to stay by the SUV, but followed Rachel away, angry at being assigned another duty. Maya asked whether Ellie had been part of a test. Rachel looked relieved when Maya named it, then stared down. That was answer enough. Back home, Ellie asked if Rachel called the ambulance. Maya said yes. "Then is she good?" Ellie asked. Maya could not make the answer simple. She said Rachel had done one necessary thing after a dangerous one. The supervised visit lasted eleven minutes. Ellie sat behind Nora, backpack held to her chest. When Rachel tapped the moon zipper in greeting, Ellie covered it with her palm. Rachel lowered her hand. Something between them closed without a sound.
