Leo sat quietly outside the small shop, his tiny legs swinging as he waited for his mother. The shop owner, an old man named Mr. Hargrove, had given him a candy and told him to sit there until Serena arrived.
Most of the school had already emptied, but a few students remained—older boys who had a reputation for picking on the younger ones. When they spotted Leo sitting alone, their interest piqued.
“Hey, it’s that quiet kid,” one of them sneered, nudging his friend. “The one without a dad.”
Leo stiffened. He had heard this before, but it never hurt any less.
Another boy, taller than the rest, smirked. “Yeah, where’s your dad, huh? Too ashamed to show his face?”
Mr. Hargrove stepped out of the shop and waved his cane. “Get lost, you little troublemakers!” he barked.
The boys laughed,
