The call came just after noon.
Ethan was in the kitchen rinsing dishes while Noah sat at the table, carefully lining up toy cars by color—something he did when he needed order more than play. The phone buzzed on the counter. Ethan glanced at the screen and frowned.
It was the school.
His stomach tightened before he even answered.
“Hello?”
“Good afternoon, Mr. Ethan,” the woman said calmly. “There’s no emergency, but Noah had a bit of a moment today. We thought it best to let you know.”
Ethan leaned against the counter. “Is he okay?”
“Yes, physically. But he became very upset during group time. He kept asking for both you and his mother and didn’t want to participate. We managed, but… it seemed important.”
Ethan closed his eyes briefly. “Thank you for calling. I’ll talk to him.”
Af
