Adeline’s POV
“Mom, can’t you help her?”
Elijah’s voice broke the quiet of the evening. He sat cross-legged on the rug, the small wolf carving unfinished in his lap. His tone was calm, but his eyes were too sharp for his age, watching me like he understood more than a boy should.
Across from him, Caleb leaned forward on his knees, his face tight with worry. “Yeah, Mom. She looked really weak today. When the other kids went running, she couldn’t even join in. The teacher made her sit on the bench and just watch while everyone else trained. She looked so sad. That’s not fair.” He paused, fiddling with the edge of his sleeve. “Maybe she just needs a hug… or some of your special ointment, Mom. If you helped her, she could play with us too.”
“She didn’t even wave back when I tried,” Caleb a
