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direction. They were talking so they didn’t even notice me until they were almost at the bench, but then one of them spotted Brianna.
    â€œOh, look, a baby,” she squealed. She bent over the car seat. “She’s so cute.”
    â€œThanks,” I said.
    The other two leaned in for a look. “She’s so tiny,” one of them said.
    â€œIs she yours?” the first girl asked me.
    I nodded.
    â€œShe’s adorable. How old is she?”
    â€œFive months,” I said. I reached over and pushed Brianna’s hat back a bit so they could see her face.
    â€œLook at her chubby little cheeks,” one of them said.
    â€œI’m Stephanie,” the first girl said. She was wearing a purple sparkly top and jeans, and her blond hair was in a high ponytail with long bits down around her face. “I don’t think I’ve seen you before. You must go to Cumberland.”
    â€œYeah,” I said. “I’m E—” Wait a minute. I shouldn’t use my real name. “—Eden. My name’s Eden,” I said.
    â€œWhat’s your baby’s name?” Stephanie asked.
    â€œBrianna,” I said.
    One of Stephanie’s friends looked up from the car seat. “I like that name,” she said. “It’s classy.”
    â€œAre you going to the dance?” the other girl asked. Her dark hair was all curls, just the way I wished I could get my hair to look, but it never did, even with a perm.
    â€œNo. I’m...um...I’m waiting for my boyfriend.”
    Stephanie looked at her watch. “Hey, we better get going,” she said. She gave me a little wave. “See you, Eden.”
    â€œYeah, see you,” I said. I watched them cut across the grass and go into the building. I heard a burst of music, for a second, when the door opened. I wondered what Jade and my other friends were doing at home. They would have already gone swimming and hooked up with some guys. They were probably at a party somewhere now.
    I looked over at Brianna. I didn’t care about parties and dances anymore. I was a mother now and I had a lot more important stuff to do.

Chapter Twelve
    My stomach growled. I realized how hungry I was. It had been hours since I’d eaten. I’d had lunch. Had I had any supper? I couldn’t remember. I stood up, put on my pack and picked up Brianna. There had to be somewhere around here where I could get something to eat.
    I headed back along the trail again. I heard a barking dog and a car door slam, but I didn’t see any other people. Didthis whole place shut down once it got dark? I was watching for a Dairy Queen or something like that, but all I passed was houses. How rinky-dink was this place if it didn’t have a Dairy Queen or a Burger Barn?
    And then finally I saw something. The sign on the roof said
Fern’s
, and it was almost as big as the building. There weren’t any cars out front, but there was a lit red
Open
sign in the window. My stomach growled again. Okay, so it wasn’t the Burger Barn, but it would do. I left the trail and started across the road.
    Fern’s smelled like coffee and burgers inside. Not a bad smell at all. There was a counter at the far end and a bunch of shiny stools with red vinyl seats. There were booths down the two long walls and tables in the middle of the room. I slid into one of the booths on the window side and set Brianna beside me in her seat. The high, dark-wood backs reminded me of church pews. I could watch the road, and the bathroomswere just behind me in case we had to get out of sight fast.
    There was a woman behind the counter. She came around it and walked over to me. She was wearing jeans and a green apron. “Hi,” she said. “What can I get you?” Brianna was awake and making fussy noises. “Hi, cutie-pie,” the waitress said to her.
    â€œUm, could I have a cheeseburger with fries and a large milk?” I