Criminal puzzles In Texas

Chapter Thirteen

Outside the school’s front entrance, the air shimmered slightly with mid-morning warmth. The sun had climbed higher now, brushing the tops of nearby trees with golden light. Samantha stepped through the doors and spotted her mother’s car in the lot — parked in the same shaded corner they had arrived in earlier. Through the windshield, Victoria gave a small wave, her face breaking into a smile the moment she saw her daughter.
The sight of her mother, so familiar and constant, steadied Samantha like an anchor. But her chest still fluttered with the mix of emotions she carried — the echoes of the design room, the sparkle of the pool water, the strange but welcome thrill of talking to Dylan.
“Hey,” Dylan’s voice pulled her gently back to the present.
She turned to him. He stood a little to the side, hands tucked casually in his pockets, the sunlight catching in the tousled waves of his hair. His tone was light, but his eyes were thoughtful.
“Do you know how you’re getting to school tomorrow?” he asked. “Will your mom drive you, or…?”
Samantha’s smile dipped, and she shifted her weight slightly. “She has to work in the mornings,” she said, her voice quieter now. “So I’ll be taking the 422 bus.”
“Perfect,” he said almost immediately, his expression brightening. “I take the 422 too! You’ll have someone to ride with.” That single comment — so simple, so normal — made something unfurl in her chest.
“I’m not sure what time I should be at the stop,” she added hesitantly. “I mean, I don’t know how long it’ll take from my place.”
Dylan tilted his head. “Where do you live?”
She told him, half-expecting him not to know it. But he nodded right away. “That’s about a thirty-minute ride if traffic doesn’t get in the way. If you’re at your stop around seven-fifteen or twenty, you’ll get here with time to spare.”
Samantha let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. “Okay. Then I’ll aim for seven-fifteen.”
“Good,” he said with a grin. “I’ll look out for you. We’ll have each other’s backs, yeah?”
He held out his hand. For a second, she hesitated — not because she didn’t want to shake it, but because something about the moment suddenly felt… charged. When she finally slipped her hand into his, his grip was warm, confident, and surprisingly gentle. A subtle shiver moved through her — the kind you feel when something quietly important is beginning.
“See you tomorrow,” she said, the words soft but full of meaning.
“See you,” Dylan replied, watching her a moment longer.

Samantha turned and began walking toward the car, her steps a little lighter than before, her sneakers making soft scuffs against the pavement. Just before reaching the door, something made her glance back. Dylan was still there, hands in his pockets, smiling in that same calm, knowing way. She smiled back, then slipped into the passenger seat.
Victoria immediately caught the soft flush in her daughter’s cheeks. “You look… happy,” she said as she pulled out of the lot. “Was it a good tour?”
Samantha’s entire face lit up. “It was amazing! The swimming pool is huge, and the gym — Mom, it’s like a whole sports center! And the design room…” She trailed off for a second, still in awe. “It’s like walking into a studio. Full of sunlight and fabric and tools. I’ve never seen anything like it.”
Victoria glanced at her briefly, heart blooming at the sight of her daughter’s excitement. She hadn’t seen this kind of lightness in Samantha since… well, in a long time.
“So,” she asked, keeping her voice even but hopeful, “does that mean you’d like to stay here?”
Samantha didn’t even pause. “Yes. Definitely yes.”
Victoria exhaled with a grin, her fingers tightening slightly on the wheel. “That’s all I needed to hear. We’ll stop by the store, get what you need, and I’ll help you sort your bus pass. We’ll make it official.”
Samantha nodded eagerly. “Let’s do it.”

The local stationery and supplies store was quiet when they entered, its shelves lined neatly with everything from lined notebooks to watercolor sets. The cool air inside was a welcome contrast to the heat outside, and soft instrumental music played faintly over the speakers. Mother and daughter moved together through the aisles like a team.
Samantha reached for pens — black, blue, red, and green — and then hesitated before grabbing a few extra. “In case I lose one,” she said with a small laugh.
Victoria chuckled. “Spoken like someone who knows herself.”
They picked out notebooks — some ruled, others blank for sketching — and added a pair of sturdy sketchbooks with heavy paper. Samantha lingered over a pencil case, eventually choosing a zip-up fabric one in dark teal, the color reminding her of deep water.
The pool section came next: a new navy-blue swimsuit, a sleek swim cap, and a white towel with a stitched edge that looked almost hand-embroidered. Samantha ran her fingers over it and smiled. “This one,” she said simply.
They wandered past the arts and crafts section next. Samantha stopped without meaning to in front of the sewing aisle, eyes drifting toward the starter kits. Victoria didn’t miss it.
“Pick one,” she said softly. “We’ll get you started.”
Samantha selected a compact kit with fine needles, spools of thread in a dozen colors, pins, a small cutting mat, and a rotary cutter. It wasn’t anything fancy — but to her, it felt like a door opening.
As they moved toward the checkout, Victoria held one last item in her mind — not today, but soon: a sewing machine. She didn’t say it out loud, but it was already a promise to herself.
Back at the car, they loaded the bags into the trunk. The sun was beginning to dip slightly now, casting long shadows across the parking lot.
Samantha looked over at her mother as they closed the trunk. “Thank you.”
Victoria turned to her, brushing a bit of hair from her face. “You’re welcome, sweetheart. You’ve found your place — and I’m so proud of you.”
Samantha leaned in, wrapping her arms around her mom’s waist in a tight hug. For a moment, neither of them said anything. They didn’t need to.
The day had begun with uncertainty, but now — with new supplies, a new school, and even a new friend — it felt like a chapter had truly opened. And for the first time in a long while, Samantha couldn’t wait to turn the next page.