No Substitute

Chapter 255: Not Instead Of

SIENNA

Leo came in with his usual fast walk. He was a step ahead of Mrs. Caldwell. He hugged me as usual. He hugged me with full-body, unguarded, and no trace of whatever I'd heard in his voice on the phone.

I let the first twenty minutes be ordinary. Let it be questions about school, about the drawing he'd brought to show me. And a story about a substitute teacher who