Parent–teacher conference season had rolled around again, filling the school with neatly printed schedules, folding chairs, and an undercurrent of polite tension. Tonight, it was Garreth’s turn to meet with his son Josiah’s kindergarten teacher—a meeting he had been quietly dreading all week. Not because he expected anything negative from the teacher herself, but because he knew his son. Josiah had a talent for trouble that seemed far too advanced for a five-year-old, and Garreth had a sinking feeling he was about to hear all about it.

Garreth was a single dad, and he truly did try his best. Between long work hours and keeping up with a house that always seemed one step away from chaos, this was his first-ever parent–teacher conference. Other parents had probably sat through a dozen by now, but for him, everything felt unfamiliar and intimidating. That didn’t help the fact that he was currently lost.

The elementary school’s hallways all looked the same—long stretches of pale walls lined with colorful student artwork, alphabet charts, and hand-drawn crayon masterpieces taped crookedly at child-height. Garreth wandered through them with a confused frown, trying to remember which direction the office had pointed him in. Somewhere down here was the kindergarten wing, and somewhere in that wing was Josiah’s classroom… supposedly.

He ran a hand through his curly brown hair, sighing softly as his eyes darted from door to door, scanning for a teacher’s name taped beside a classroom. None of them looked familiar. Each step made him feel more out of place, like he was trespassing in a world meant for much smaller people.

Just as his uncertainty peaked, he spotted someone walking toward him down the hallway. Relief hit instantly. Seizing the opportunity before he could overthink it, Garreth lifted a hand in a small wave and stepped forward.

“Excuse me,” he called out, his voice polite but hesitant. He rubbed the back of his neck, offering an embarrassed half-smile. “I think I’m a little lost.”

Getting turned around in an elementary school wasn’t exactly his proudest moment—but at this point, he was far too desperate to keep wandering aimlessly.