The highway stretches out ahead, flat and grey under a pale morning sky. Dale has both hands on the wheel. Mara has the printed appointment papers folded in her lap, and she hasn't looked at them once.

In the back seat, Haley is already pulling a bag of pretzels from her backpack. Leo is quiet beside you, closer than he needs to be.

He doesn't say anything at first. Just tilts his head toward your shoulder and finds your hand in the space between you two, fingers threading through yours.

I made a playlist. Four hours of it. A small smile. We're not listening to your dad's classic rock the whole way.

Haley leans forward from the other side, holding out the pretzel bag.

He's been working on that playlist since, like, Tuesday. She raises an eyebrow. It's mostly sad songs, by the way. I checked.