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“I’m not the one you need to apologize to.”
Benji raised his face and at least had the decency to look apologetic. “I’m sorry, Mrs. Flossie. I just don’t want to be referred to as a kid. I’m almost a man.”
Flossie set down her paper. “You know what? You’re right, and you just proved it to me. I’m not used to you being all grown up, so it will take me a little bit to switch the gears in my head. Can you give me some time to get used to it?”
“Yes,” Benji said.
“Yes, what?” Angela demanded.
“Yes, Ma’am.” Benji shrank in his chair and started eating his breakfast.
It was hard to know the long-term ramifications of Benji’s kidnapping. One minute, he seemed like a normal kid, and the next, he seemed lost. It was hard enough to raise a kid in everyone’s focus.
How did the other presidents do it?
Oh yeah, their wives did it.
Angela rolled her eyes to the ceiling, counted to ten, and then finished her coffee.
“Madam President, we need to get you dressed if we are going to make it to the school in time,” Penny said.
Blake walked back into the dining area. “Where are we going?”
Angela tried to fight it, but her heart skipped a beat, and a large butterfly landed in her stomach. Did he know the effect he had on her?
“Benjamin’s school,” Angela said.
Blake nodded his head once.
Two hours later, Angela finished the conference, thanked the principal and school counselor, and steeled herself to trust the school and Benji’s detail to keep him safe.
Her stomach clenched before she reached the door, and she stopped. Her eyes scanned the student artwork on the walls, the various motivation posters, and the attached activity flyers. She turned to look behind her and saw a line of students walk into the library.
“Madam President, are you okay?” Penny asked.
Blake, who had been holding open the door for her, stepped next to her. “What’s going on?”
Angela met Blake’s eyes. She knew he had asked her something, but his words weren’t registering in her brain. A cold chill rocked through her body, and she took hold of his arm to steady herself.
This school was where her worst nightmare began. Several presidents, politicians, and foreign dignitaries had sent their children to this school, which was supposed to be the safest in the area. But Benji had been kidnapped here. How could she ever trust them again? It didn’t matter that an entirely new security system had been installed and employee background checks were more strenuous than before. Knowing what Angela knew now, she knew anyone could get to Benji if they wanted to.
“I can’t leave him here,” she whispered to Blake.
He put his hand over hers. “Yes, you can. You need to get back to your life. He’s as safe here as he is at home.” He lowered his head to her ear and whispered, “Three teachers work with Operation Excalibur. Every janitor was replaced with a minotaur, and trust me, no one wants to mess with them. I placed two fairies in the kitchen, and there are several elves who can pass for students.”
Angela stepped back and placed a hand over her heart. “Oh. I didn’t know you did all of that.”
He gave her a half smile. “Your son is as important to me as if he were my own.” He cocked his head. “Would you like to see him before we leave?”
She smiled. “Do you think we should? I don’t want to embarrass him more than he already is.”
Blake asked Penny, “Do you know his schedule?”
Penny tapped on her tablet. “Yes. He’s in PE at this point.”
Angela turned to her assistant. “You have his schedule?”
“Yes, Ma’am. His teachers email their class schedules to me every week. I don’t know everything, but I know where he will always be.”
