My mother-in-law smiled. "Xinxin, you can't baby Maya so much. Country kids walk to school alone by five. Spoil them too much and they'll never grow up."
Her words opened the floodgates. All three sisters-in-law chimed in, taking turns to persuade me. Hearing the exact same lines from my past life, my lips wouldn't stop trembling.
"Mom, I'm not cold. I wanna play hide-and-seek with Tommy."
Maya's arms were already full of snacks. Austin produced a scarf and hat, bundling her up. "Go on, baby. Have fun."
I watched my daughter walk out the front gate with that group of kids. My heart pounded against my ribs. My phone stayed silent. No messages.
What if this time, even after everything I'd done, I still couldn't save her?
"Xinxin, stop staring at your phone. You don't visit often—chat with Leah and the others."
My mother-in-law called Austin to help in the kitchen. The three sisters-in-law stuck to me like shadows, watching my every move.
"I need the bathroom."
Clutching my stomach, I grabbed my phone and headed for the toilet. Daisy followed. "I'll come with you, sister-in-law. The outhouse takes some getting used to."
It was an outdoor pit toilet. Daisy waited on the other side of the wall.