CHAPTER 1 The Phone Call Before that awful rain soaked Monday in July Lily LaRue thought she knew exactly what a bad day felt like Days like that are just a part of life Dad was always saying We wouldn't know how good being happy feels if we were never sad But Monday wasn't like other bad days it was especially bad Lily knew it the moment she saw Mom's face after picking up the phone that rang harshly right in the middle of breakfast As Mom listened to whoever was on the other end of the call the corners of her mouth
turned down Her eyebrows pulled together in the middle And then she stepped into the other room Uh oh Lily said her mouth full of waffles and syrup She looked at Dad hoping he'd offer her a comforting smile But he was too busy looking to the other room where Mom had gone It was easy to see he was concerned This made Lily's stomach flutter nervously Dad Lily tried again Is Mom okay But still he didn't say anything Outside the rain fell in sharp taps against the glass of the kitchen window It always rained in July where Lily lived in the mountains of Arizona Lily usually loved monsoon season But today the dark gray sky and ominous booms of thunder made her feel like she was trapped in a ghost story Something was wrong She could feel it
I'll go check Dad finally replied He was already halfway out of his chair He joined Mom Lily was left alone with her waffles and the rain Weird she said out loud She took a sip of juice and swung her legs back and forth underneath the table Weird weird weird A long time went by Lily thought she could hear her mother making other phone calls Her voice a low urgent hush Another clap of thunder made the house rumble
You are not afraid of thunder Lily told herself She was embarrassed she'd jumped at the sound A famous explorer wouldn't be scared Before she could be proven wrong by another flash of light and rolling boom of noise her parents came back into the kitchen Mom didn't look better In fact she looked worse Dad didn't look very happy either They sat at the table beside Lily but neither of them picked up their forks again
