“Noah’s compass has a tiny letter scratched into the back.”
“The letter ‘M,’” I explained. “His father carved it there. It’s Mark’s initial.”
The principal turned the compass over.
Before he could examine it, a woman’s voice interrupted from behind me.
“That won’t solve anything.”
Every head in the room turned toward the doorway.
A woman stood there, frozen in place as though she’d walked into the wrong room.
She appeared to be in her mid-thirties, her dark hair neatly pulled back, one hand still resting on the doorknob.
The moment our eyes met, all the color drained from her face.
She looked horrified.
Not surprised.
Not confused.
Horrified.
As though she had just come face-to-face with someone she had spent years hoping never to meet.
For reasons I couldn’t explain, I felt exactly the same.
Somewhere…
I knew her.
I was certain of it.
I just couldn’t remember where.
The principal gestured politely.
“Mrs. Bennett, please come in. We were just discussing the compass.”
She stepped inside slowly, never taking her eyes off me.
Then she spoke again, her voice barely above a whisper.
“Lucas’s compass…”
She swallowed.
“…has the same letter carved into the back.”
The words hung in the air like a heavy storm cloud.
“Lucas’s compass has the same letter carved into the back.”
No one spoke.
For several long seconds, the only sound inside the office was the quiet ticking of the clock above Principal Hayes’ desk.
I looked from the woman to the compass, then back to the two boys.
Nothing about this made sense.
The principal carefully turned the compass over.
His eyebrows lifted.
“Well…”
He cleared his throat.
“She’s right.”
He held it up so everyone could see.
“There is an ‘M’ engraved here.”
Noah frowned.
“I told you it was mine.”
Lucas folded his arms.
“So did I.”
Neither child sounded angry anymore.
Only confused.
Principal Hayes rubbed the bridge of his nose.
“I think the best solution is to keep the compass here until we determine which child is actually missing one.”
I nodded automatically.
“So do I.”
The woman standing beside the door gave the smallest nod.
“I agree.”
The principal smiled politely.
“Good. Then we’ll leave it here for now.”
He looked toward both boys.
“I don’t want to see either of you fighting again. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir.”
Both answered at exactly the same time.
Even their voices blended together.
The similarity sent another chill racing through my body.
Principal Hayes seemed to notice it too.
His eyes drifted between the boys before he quickly looked away.
“Good.”
He dismissed them with a gentle smile.
“You may both return to class tomorrow.”
Noah climbed down from his chair and immediately reached for my hand.
Lucas walked quietly toward the door beside his mother.
As they passed us, the little boy glanced curiously at Noah.
“You really look like me.”
Noah blinked.
“I was about to say that.”
Lucas smiled shyly.
“My friends thought you were my cousin.”
“My friends would’ve thought the same.”
For one brief moment, the boys laughed.
It was innocent.
Sweet.
Completely unaware of the earthquake their resemblance had just caused in the adults around them.
The woman quickly rested a hand on Lucas’s shoulder.
“We should go.”
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