But I was his mother.
I noticed everything.
When Evan was young, I truly believed kindness would be enough. Maybe that sounds naïve, but it was what I believed. He was the kind of child who held doors open without being asked.
If another student forgot a pencil, he would lend them one.
If someone dropped their books, he would stop and help gather them.
For a long time, I thought the world would reward that kind of goodness.
Instead, school taught him something very different.
The other students didn’t necessarily target him every day. Most of the time, they simply behaved as though he didn’t belong.
Birthday parties came and went without invitations.
Weekend plans were discussed right in front of him as if he weren’t there.