At the door, he said, “You got what you wanted.”

I touched the key. “No. I got what he wanted me to have.”

—

Two days later, Madison, Matthew, and I reached the cabin. The porch sagged. The blue door had faded. The lake rested still behind it.

Inside, Madison rinsed mugs while Matthew carried in our overnight bags.

“Wait, kids,” I said. “This place has continue reading …