Valentina POV
I left Milan at two on Friday. The drive to Como took ninety minutes, and I used the time to return three calls. By the time I pulled up outside the school, I had resolved a supplier dispute and approved a budget.
The gates opened at three-thirty. I got out of the car.
He came through the doors with his bag half-open and his coat buttoned wrong. He ran. Full speed across the courtyard, like the distance between us was a problem that needed fixing immediately. I caught him. He was heavier than last month. I picked him up anyway because one day I would not be able to, and I was not ready for that day yet.
He wrapped his arms around my neck and made a loud noise into my shoulder.
"What?" I said.
He pulled back. "I said Lorenzo has a frog."
"A real one?"
"No. A pencil cas
