Adeline’s POV
The courtyard buzzed with noise, children darting about in uniforms, banners strung overhead, and proud parents filling the rows of benches beneath the shade trees. A cluster of teachers bustled near the stage, herding the younger ones into neat lines while older students passed out programs. The air was thick with laughter, chatter, and the smell of ink from freshly painted signs.
I stood near the edge of the crowd, my satchel tucked against my side, my eyes fixed on my sons.
Caleb clutched the small wooden carving he had worked on for days, holding it with both hands as if it were something fragile. He looked smaller than the rest of his class, his posture folded in on itself. His big eyes searched the yard, darting nervously, until they found me. Relief softened his lit
