Leo nodded eagerly. “He was tall. Like you. Brown hair. Green eyes.”
Then his smile faded. “But then he changed. He forgot things. Mommy cried a lot.”
Green eyes. Brown hair. Tall.
It was Étienne.
Bastien swallowed hard. “And your parents now?”
Leo looked down at the pavement, scuffing his shoe.
“I don’t know. Mrs. Sylvie says my dad disappeared. Mommy says she’ll come back for me one day.”
Before Bastien could respond, a woman hurried toward them, concern etched across her face.
“Leo!” she scolded gently. “How many times have I told you not to wander off?”
She pulled the boy closer, instinctively placing herself between him and Bastien. Her eyes assessed Bastien’s posture, his uniform, his badge.
Sylvie Dubois. Director of the home.
“It’s fine,” Bastien said quickly. “We were just talking.”
