Chapter 2
The school bell had rung nearly ten minutes ago, and the front entrance of Maplewood Elementary buzzed with life.
Children poured onto the sidewalks in colorful backpacks and neatly pressed clothes, their excited voices filling the crisp afternoon air.
Parents waited patiently along the curb, waving the moment they spotted familiar faces.
A young mother with chestnut hair knelt down, opening her arms wide as her little boy sprinted toward her. His bright red backpack bounced wildly behind him before he crashed into her embrace, laughing so hard he could barely catch his breath. She kissed the top of his head, brushing a strand of blond hair away from his eyes.
Not far away, an elderly grandfather, tall and silver-haired, held the tiny hand of his granddaughter as they crossed the parking lot together. She skipped beside him, proudly showing off a finger painting she'd made in art class. He listened as though it were the greatest masterpiece in the world.
Nearby, a father lifted his daughter onto his shoulders while she giggled uncontrollably. Another family loaded soccer gear into the back of their SUV before heading off to afternoon practice.
Everywhere Ethan looked, there were small moments of love.
Warm hugs.
Gentle smiles.
Hands reaching for one another without hesitation.
Simple scenes that most people would forget by the time they got home.
But to Ethan...
They were treasures he had only ever witnessed from a distance.
His blue eyes lingered on every family as if trying to memorize what happiness looked like.
He wondered what it felt like to hear someone call your name with excitement.
To have someone ask how your day had been.
To know that no matter what happened at school, someone was always waiting for you on the other side of the gate.
The parking lot slowly emptied.
One family after another disappeared down the road.
The laughter faded.
The warm embraces ended.
May you like
And before long...
Only Ethan remained, sitting alone beneath the shadow of the school entrance, watching the place where everyone else's happiness had just begun.
