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The color had drained from Wilda’s face, and she nodded. “I know.”
“Are you okay?”
“You should get to school.”
“Wilda?”
“I’m fine.”
“I’ll call you at lunchtime.” He picked up his travel mug and backed toward the door. “You’ll answer the call, right?”
“Of course.”
Caleb was standing by the car, staring at the ground, when Milo approached and opened the door. Caleb climbed in, and Milo helped him with the seatbelt.
“Caleb.” Caleb looked at him. “You need to be nicer to your mom. She misses Uncle Mathias as much as you do.”
Caleb mumbled, “Sorry.”
“I want you to apologize to her when you get home today.” He closed the back door and got behind the wheel, glancing at the house before he started the car and drove away.
The drive to town was quiet, and once at school, Milo took Caleb’s backpack while the boy went to join his classmates on the playground. He dropped his things and Caleb’s backpack in the classroom, then headed to the office. He had just enough time to make a quick request of Rachel.
He walked into her office, and she smiled. “Morning.”
“Hi. I wanted to ask if you’d check in with Wilda sometime this morning when you have time.”
“Is she okay?”
“Not sure. Don’t tell her I asked you to call. Just call to say hi.”
“I can do that. What happened?”
“I don’t have time to get into it.”
“But you guys are okay?”
“I think so, yeah. Just had a weird moment with Caleb.”
“Okay. I’ll call her before lunch.”
“Thank you.”
“Do you need a hug?”
“I’m good, thanks.”
She got up and went to him. “Come on. You know you want one.” She hugged him. “Now go and enrich young minds.”
“That’s what I get paid the big bucks for.”
Milo kept the kids busy until recess, and while he counted heads on the playground, Rachel came up to him. “Have you talked to Wilda?”
“No. Why?”
“She and I are going to go out for a drink tonight while you watch Caleb.”
“A drink? Like to a bar?”
