I loved my boy Henry more'n anything in the whole wide world. Despite the way his daddy walked out on me when he found out I was pregnant. Despite having to drop out of high school when I was just a kid to raise him on my own. I loved him with my whole heart.

So when it come time for him to start school, I done my best by him, from buying him new school clothes to planning an end-of-summer picnic celebration.

Then I did something no mama should do: I trusted the deep wood.

And I learned just how far I'd go to keep my precious boy safe.

A companion to the Sunshine Walkingstick Series.