ADELE’S POV

The kindergarten room was alive with the kind of pure, unfiltered joy that only kids could create. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, casting golden patches on the colorful mats scattered across the floor.

Toys were everywhere—blocks stacked in wobbly towers, crayons rolling under tables, and in the center of it all, a group of about a dozen little ones giggling as we played handball. It wasn't some fancy game; just a soft, bouncy ball we tossed around in a loose circle, no rules except to have fun and cheer each other on.

I caught the ball from little Lia, her chubby hands barely able to grip it...