I gripped the edge of the counter.
“Is Lily all right?”
“She’s safe too. There’s no medical emergency. But we need to discuss something that has been happening after school.”
I called my supervisor, explained that I had an urgent family matter, and left as quickly as I could.
During the drive, my mind raced through every possibility.
Had someone bullied Lily because of her wig?
Had Ethan fought with someone?
Had the children done something dangerous?
By the time I entered the school office, I was so anxious that I could barely feel my hands.
Ethan sat beside Jacob.
His shoulders were hunched, and he was repeatedly folding and unfolding the corner of a permission sheet.
Jacob looked as though he hadn’t slept.
Mr. Harrison, the principal, stood near his desk.
“Thank you for coming, Meryl,” he said.
I looked directly at my son.
“Ethan, what’s happened?”
He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
