Julia found out on Wednesday afternoon.
Not from the article she saw that later. She found out the way parents always found out the things that mattered most.
From her child's face.
She was at the school gate at three fifteen early, for once, because her afternoon call had finished ahead of schedule and she'd decided to walk rather than time it tightly. She was standing in her usual spot, slightly left of the main cluster of parents, when the doors opened.
She watched for Nora the way she always did that particular focused scanning of a crowd for one specific small person that became instinctive within about three weeks of school starting.
She found her.
Nora was walking with her head down.
Not looking for sticks. Not talking to the child beside her. Not doing any of the things s
