Then a new family came in through the side door — a mother, tired and nervous, holding the hand of a small boy, a transfer, I guessed, come to see the school before his first day.

The boy stared at the floor.

He kept his coat collar pulled up high around his ears despite the warmth of the room.

I have learned to notice small things, and I noticed those.

I walked over, easy and unhurried, and crouched a comfortable distance away, the way you approach a kid you don’t want to startle.

“Hi there,” I said.