The night seemed to be going perfectly until 11 p.m., when Amanda became homesick and asked to leave. Kathleen texted Amanda's mom Susan who gave her the go-ahead for her daughter to return home.

School has started in most Washington state districts. How soon is it OK for your kid to walk to school alone? Kerry Maloney/ Idaho Statesman Summer has come to an end, and school is back in session.

I can see You walking away from me towards the school With the pathos of a half-fledged thing set free Into a wilderness, the gait of one Who finds no path where the path should be. That hesitant ...