By now, M had lost all interest in small talk. She exchanged a few polite words with the principal, firmly declined his offer to escort her, and made her own way out.


    ...


    She stepped out of the academic building.


    It was the end of ss, and the yground nearby was swarming with children. Teachers stood at the edges, keeping a watchful eye on their students. The air was thick withughter, shouts, and the sheer, deafening volume of kids at y. It was less a cheerful background and more a wall of noise.


    M quickened her pace.


    "Hey, you''re Adrian''s mom, right? Where is that guy?" She was almost past the yground when a voice called out behind her, and someone tugged at the hem of her coat.


    She turned around.


    A boy she recognized stood there, ring up at her—a face she knew all too well. It was Parker McKenna, the kid from the McKenna family who''d once gotten into a fistfight with Adrian and hurled insults that could rival a sailor''s.


    Still, he was just a child. M saw no reason to hold a grudge. She replied calmly, "He''s resting at home. He won''t being to school for a while."


    "Why?" Parker blurted out, then added, "Is it because of Julian?"


    M froze.


    She hadn''t expected even this kid to know.


    "Parker, what are you doing off the yground? I told you, you''re only allowed to y inside!" A teacher spotted them from across the field and hurried over. She gave M an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Mrs. Suthend. Kids say the darndest things-please don''t mind him."


    M didn''t visit the school often, but everyone knew who she was-she''d attendedst year''s big fundraising g as the board chair, and Adrian was, well, infamous for his antics. With everything going ontely, the staff were especially on edge.


    They were clearly worried Parker might say something out of line.


    "It''s quite alright," M replied, unbothered. Now that the teacher was here, she gave a polite nod and was about to leave, when Parker suddenly spoke up again.


    "He wouldn''t do something like that."


    M turned, surprised.


    Parker shook off the teacher''s hand and took a few steps forward, chin raised defiantly. "Adrian wouldn''t do something like that. If he''s mad, he''ll just punch someone. He''s not sneaky-he''d never do that kind of thing!"


    M was speechless.


    He sounded like he was defending her son, but somehow the defense didn''t feel entirely reassuring.


    Still, it was well-meant.


    She reached out and ruffled Parker''s hair, her voice softer. "Thank you, Parker."


    Parker stiffened, then scowled and pped her hand away, ring. "Don''t touch my head!"


    M couldn''t help it—she let out a silent sigh.


    Kids really were impossible to figure out.


    "I''m so sorry, Mrs. Suthend..." The teacher grabbed Parker, who was now red with anger, and apologized again.


    "It''s fine. I shouldn''t have touched his head without asking."


    M was resigned. No wonder those two boys fought so much-wasn''t just the insults; they both had hair-trigger tempers. How could they not sh?


    hen


    She was about to walk away Parker yanked free from the teacher and caught up to her, grabbing her sleeve. "Hey, is heing back of not? He still owes me a fight- haven''t gotten even with him forst time!"  s?novel


    He practically bared his teeth as he red at her. "You''re such a clueless mom. He hit me first-I only called him names! He''s lying, and you believe everything he says!


    He was still nursing a grudge about theirst scrap.


    His dad hadn''t listened to his side of the story either, and he''d been grounded for


    it. If Adrian didn''te back, who was he supposed to get even with?


    M didn''t know whether tough or cry.


    Getting lectured by a child-why did kids hold grudges so fiercely these days? As for who was lying, she honestly didn''t know what to believe. Parker''s insults had been pretty foul, but he''d just defended Adrian, too.


    Kids'' friendships really wereplicated.


    Still, at heart, he wasn''t a bad kid.


    After a moment''s thought, M gently stopped the apologetic teacher from dragging Parker away. She crouched down, so she was eye-level with him, and offered a warm smile.


    "How about this-when I have some free time, would you like toe over? If you and Adrian still have issues, you can talk it out in front of me. Sound fair?"


    Parker averted his eyes, scuffed his shoe on the ground, and muttered, "Whatever," before turning tail and running back to the yground.


    That was as good as a yes, she supposed.


    Not too hard to win over, after all.


    M shook her head, smiling to herself. She said a quick goodbye to the still-


    startled teacher, then hurried off toward the hospital.


    She had no choice-her phone hadn''t stopped ringing, and a certain someone was blowing it up like their life depended on it.