She ate lunch by herself, at her wooden desk. At 4:15, she took a deep breath and checked her makeup in the bathroom on the way to the staff meeting in the library. The weeklong orientation she’d gone through last month had been with all the new staff in the district, but unfortunately, none of them had been from PS 128. And she hadn’t gotten a chance to meet hardly anyone when she’d come in to set up her office, though a few people had popped their heads in to say hi.

She stepped into the back of the library and put a small, professional smile on her face. She could do this. How many new schools had she been punted into as a foster kid? How many mandatory after-school programs and group therapy sessions had she had to step into and find a place for herself? The answer was a lot. The answer was also that it never seemed to get much easier. The main difference here was that this room, right here, was Via’s choice. This was a step she wanted to be taking in her life. She took a deep breath.

Teachers were milling around, greeting each other, finding their seats. Via was just about to walk up to a group of older, chatting teachers and introduce herself when Principal Grim tapped one of her very large rings against a water glass.

The sound tinkled through the room, and Via felt like she was at a wedding. Not that she’d ever actually been to a wedding. But, you know, goals.

“Shall we?” the mildly eccentric but very competent older woman called to her staff.

Via slipped into one of the chairs set up toward the edge of the room and watched everyone settle in around her. Principal Grim was just standing up when something caught Via’s eye.

She looked across the room and there was Mr. Dorner—Sebastian—giving her a half smile and a wave. Right. He’d said he was on staff, but it was still a surprise to see him at the staff meeting.

Via felt herself light up like a birthday candle as she waved back. It was really nice to see a familiar face. Even if his face wasn’t so familiar to her. He looked very different from when she’d had Matty in her pre-K class. His hair, somewhere between brown and gold, was shorter and trimmed, long on the top, tight on the sides. He had more of a beard now, but it was neat and intentional. Not the five-day-old scruff he’d sported for most of that entire year. And he wore a casual button-down and dark jeans. It definitely had a different effect than the rumpled suit he’d worn every day for most of Matty’s pre-K year.

Sebastian turned back to the front of the room, but Via surreptitiously studied his face for just a moment longer. He’d looked like some of the other dads at the farmers market, maybe a little taller and fitter, but he’d looked like he belonged there. But in this elementary school library surrounded by women in colorful dresses and alphabet earrings? It made his blunt features somehow blunter. His shoulders wider. It was like spotting a lion among a flock of flamingos.