Cleo knew it was time to leave when the crows arrived. The day it happened had been a glorious one, all powder blue sky and fluffy clouds. She was at the park with the youngest, Annie, who was planted on the swings, giggling “Push me, Cleo, push me!” And she obliged, grinning ear to ear.

It took far too long for her to notice the large bird (innocuous to some, but a clear threat to her) settled on the telephone pole across from them. By the time she did, she knew it was too late. It had clearly seen her and it watched intently as she grabbed Annie off of the swing and pulled her away. To where she hadn’t known at the time. Just away. Away from the crows which grew in number as she ran, tugging Annie along.

They had eventually made it home, Annie asking questions Cleo didn’t know how to answer.

Now it was nearing midnight. Cleo moved like a phantom in the room she had come to call her own, throwing what little she had into her old knapsack. Her patchwork family was sound asleep, or so she had hoped.

“Cleo?” Shit. She turned around to find Annie standing in the doorway, her stuffie in one hand and a glass of water in the other.

“What are you doing in the dark?” Annie asked, starting to move forward to investigate.

Cleo surreptitiously covered the knapsack with the shirt she had been holding behind her back and walked forward to intercept the young girl.

“Can’t sleep.” Liar. “Did you have a nightmare again?”

Annie nodded sleepily and Cleo gently ushered her from the room. She took her hand, well aware that this could well be the last time, and walked her to her bed. Taking the glass of water from her, Cleo busied herself with setting it aside while Annie climbed back into bed. Once done, Cleo kneeled by her bedside, tucking the comforter around Annie and her stuffie.

“You gonna be okay, kiddo?” Cleo asked, trying not to think of how Annie would react in the morning when she found her gone.

“Yeah.” She mumbled, settling into her sheets.

Cleo pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “Love you, kiddo.”

“Love you too.” Annie replied and with that Cleo got to her feet. Without looking back, she left the room to go finish packing.

There was an art to leaving, and Cleo, as much as she hated it, was a master.