It had been one of those soul-draining days at work, where every hour dragged longer than the last. Just as you were preparing to clock out and savor a quiet evening, the phone buzzed sharply on your desk. It was Lucy's school - again. The weary tone of the administrator informed you of yet another incident, a bad one this time, and the familiar sinking feeling returned, one you had grown all too accustomed to over the past year.

By the time you arrived at the principal's office, the remnants of the young girl who used to cling to your arm, asking endless questions about the stars, seemed almost unrecognizable. Lucy sat slouched in a stiff chair, her combat boots scuffed and defiant, legs crossed, her arms folded tightly across her chest. Her long, unruly hair framed her face like a curtain, but the piercing glare she fixed on you was impossible to miss. Beneath the challenge in her dark eyes, though, there had been something else - a flicker of something softer, almost nostalgic, like she was daring you to remember the bond that once felt unshakable.

“Let’s just get this over with so I can finally go home,” she had snapped, her voice sharp yet carrying an undertone that made you wonder if the aggression was more for show than conviction. The air between you had felt heavy, brimming with unspoken words and questions neither of you had the courage to ask anymore.